Worlds of Angelcestra
by Hanachu
Summary: Published beta-tester Hikari finds herself trapped inside a VRMMORPG by an evil terrorist; follow her battling monsters, collecting items and completing quests as she plays through the game of life or death to return home. Will someone appear to make her want to stay? Will she escape? Based in an game I created with elements similar to SAO and ALO. All OC's. I suck at summaries!
1. Chapter 1

Morning sun streamed in through the Yoshi egg patterned curtains and fell upon the table situated in front of the window covered in empty ramen cups, an unplugged night-light shaped like a sword and many small statuettes of well known characters from Batman to Sephiroth. It glinted off the wooden surface and it's fanning spread of glossy gaming magazines, casting a cheery glow over the whole room.

The gold tinted the dust motes that span lazily in front of a purring laptop - the cleanest item in the room and the most important given how the mess seemed to radiate outwards from the suspiciously bare patch of carpet. A pleasant breeze lifted the curtains and allowed a chink of light to flash brightly across the idling screen.

The brightness made me squint and grumble against the assault on my vision. My brief nights sleep yesterday had been much longer than I'd intended, usually the appetising scents and sounds of the cafeteria below the flat rose up to wake me up much earlier. The figure hunched beneath the sleeping blankets moaned and threw itself over, seeking to evade the light before it sat bolt upright.

"Amawake" I mumbled incoherently, rubbing the vestiges of sleep from my eyes with the heels of my hands. My first thought was the huge amount of work that I had to shift through even though this was my day off, my second being the urge of a more basic bodily function.

After a few unattractive scratches down my sleeping shorts I crawled out of my futon towards the adjoining bathroom, a tiny room leading off from the main one and the only other room in the flat. I tripped over the mountain of fabric and crushed cans that littered the floor of my room, and head butted the bathroom door. It bounced back. Towels flung over the top and clothes spilling out the bottom had stopped it from clicking shut. I was not a dirty person, but a messy one. I was the kind of person who could make mess in an empty four by ten box. Stood in my fraying bra and panties, I groggily scratched at my knee, trying to pull myself together.

I relieved myself before briefly assessing my reflection in the mirror above the sink, scrubbing at the bags under my eyes and frowning when I realised they were permanent and not smudges of mascara. I splashed water on my face a few times to clean it before stumbling my way back into the other room which served as sleeping quarters, a recreational room and kitchenette.

"Damn" I swore to myself as I saw the hands on the clock pointed to well into the afternoon. The clock was designed on Link's Ocarina and I'd only had it for a few weeks, after paying the large sum of money I had to buy it I'd be really irritated if I had to send it back and demand a replacement.

I pushed up on my tiptoes to see that the hands were still ticking so it was the correct time with some relief, then the soon after horror I had to get an entire days work done in a few hours if I wanted to have any leisure time for myself today. Huh, day off - yeah right. Despite sleeping for over twelve hours, or perhaps because of it, I felt exceptionally groggy that morning. Perhaps it was due to the fact to that this was the first time, in what seemed like ages, that I had actually been able to get a decent night's sleep.

I took a few moments to bathe in the splendour of my domain like I always did when I woke up. Small specks of dust drifted lazily on the faint air currents before settling on the laden surfaces of the table and shelves. The place was in dire need of a clean, I'd admit, but now I'd slept in it would have to wait for another day.

Sculptures, figurines, and books, covered every flat inch of the room. Similarly, VRMMORPG artwork filled the white washed walls. The only signs anybody lived in this gargantuan tribute of all things anime and gaming related was the green wink of the laptop light, the messy futon and the small kettle and microwave stuffed in one corner with a hotplate. I noticed that I'd eaten all of my instant noodle cups so the first task of the day would be going to the grocery store to restock my supply.

I snagged a hooded purple sweatshirt with a pikachu on the front from the floor and pulled it on over the vest I had slept in, then looked around for a pair of jeans under the mess. After seeing a pair of black knee length shorts under a fallen stack of gaming manuals I tugged them free, the resulting avalanche caused even more of the books to spill onto what I fondly called my floordrobe. I winched, great. After an experimental sniff at them I wiggle-danced my way into them and hunted for my rucksack.

It was a replica of Fire Fist Ace's backpack from One Piece and one of my favourite purchases, it's green and black wave pattern was distinctive so I found it soon enough. My notepad which I jotted errant thoughts in and a few stray pens without lids were inside, as well as my purse and many other miscellaneous things that had been stuffed inside at some point. I laced my arm through it and headed for my door, the junk swathed floor made it more of a trial than it sounds.

The wonderful smell of fresh caffeine floated up from the cafe underneath, perking up my senses and further activating my synapses. The paper thin walls provided me with the privilege of hearing the customers below arguing, watching TV or engaging in conversation whilst their children ran around screaming, at all hours of the day. That, on top of working throughout the day well into the night in an effort to raise more money for my gaming habit, meant I was chronically bleary-eyed and over-tired. I could have moved apartments, but being situated above the cafeteria meant the rent was cheap and with the small flat being little less than a gaming station and anime shrine I felt I could suffer through the inadequacies of my dwelling with the ultimate goal of being able to afford better some day.

Finally, I got to the other side of the room. I had deadbolts, chains, and a peep hole to check who was at the door... At times, I felt like I was in a prison, but crime rates were high. If you didn't want to become another statistic, you did what you had to. I walked down the creaking, narrow stairway and my stomach rumbled at the thought of food, and I knew that even if the place was no better than a mom and pop greasy spoon, I'd devour whatever they had to offer. My stomach was telling me it was long past feeding time.

I soon descended into the 'L' shaped dining area past the customer toilets. A row of small tables lined the windows that faced onto the main street showing men and women milling around. Next there was a row of stools by a counter on which a TV squatted, behind which you could get a glimpse into the kitchen through a serving window. The top half of a thin faced man sweating over whatever he was cooking with wearing an apron was visible, he caught my eye and gave me a nod which I returned. Along the side, leading towards the back was a long narrow area with a row of booths on one side and various small tables on the other.

Three waitresses scurried through the crowds, trays of kimchi, egg rolls and sushi-rolls skilfully balanced over their heads. Miraculously, they avoided the erratic movements of the patrons and managed to complete their jobs without mishap. The most greying of them waved at me as I weaved between the tables and I gave a perfunctory smile at my landlord Sayura, she had a scorpion mouth but tofu-soft heart even if she did treat her plain-spoken husband the chef like Ru-Shan was a piece of furniture sometimes.

I noticed there was a new bus-boy busy taking dirty plates into a big plastic bowl to carry round the back and clean, he was taller than the guy who used to collect them who I'd almost enjoyed the company of - he was a hacker who was forever descending on leftovers and snacking on them to prove his animalistic instincts. This new man was around my age with a blue-black fringe he shied behind, he was dressed in the usual staff uniform and I could see despite his slender waist his upper biceps bulged a little behind the cloth as he hefted the full burden up to it take away.

I was thankful that smoking was banned in public places in Osaka; otherwise the room would likely have been a sea of haze and have smelled like an ashtray. As it was, those who craved nicotine kept entering and exiting the cafeteria regularly, getting their fix. The constant opening and closing of the door meant that gusts of cold night air kept swirling inside, ensuring that the smell of sesame seed oil, fish and fried rice was thoroughly distributed around the large room. It was tempting enough that I decided I could afford to splash a little of my wages on something other than games, toys and the more meagre of dietary requirements. I'd probably faint with hunger before I made it to the store otherwise.

Moving to the counter, I chose an empty stool and turned in my seat to take in the atmosphere of the diner. The myriad of food scents tantalised my nose; nori, leeks, sardines..The sound of dishes clattering in the kitchen, the hiss of grease as it sizzled on a griddle... It was all comforting and familiar. No need the peruse the menu, I knew its contents better than some of the staff because a few times a month I'd linger on my way through and decide to grab a bite to eat, re-humanising myself with the sights and sounds of having company. The cafe acted as a kind of buffer in which I could reacclimatise myself from staring at a screen for hours in an otherwise empty room and catching snatches of sleep to ready myself for the assault of real noise, movement that didn't have CGI involved and non-pixelated life.

The heat from dozens of bodies, the flickering lights from the TV screen and the sounds from a myriad of conversations bombarded my senses. I let it all wash over me through half closed eyes as I watched the activity around me, my breathing deep, and even my body appearing relaxed. I was in my own isolated bubble, detached from my surroundings, yet still aware on some instinctual level, in case a waitress came to take my order. Through my slatted peripherals I watched as the new bus-boy walked past to set napkins and as I inhaled subconsciously I picked up a faint citrus scent. I was curious about him, he could have been a mature student who took this job to pay his way through his education but he had a concentrated air about him as if this was the only place he wanted to be.

I snapped my eyes back open again when Ru-Shan slid a full plate across to me, "Here, Hikari" he presented although nobody had asked me what I wanted yet, "On the house, a new recipe"

I took a tentative small piece and slowly rose it into my mouth because he was staring in a way that implied he was waiting for me to try them. My worries slipped away completely, though, when the first bite of the light, fluffy texture touched my tongue. I swallowed and hurriedly cut up more, "These are delicious!" I cried stuffing more in like I couldn't get enough of them - because I couldn't.

I inhaled deeply, letting the cloying sweet scent invade my nose. He smiled in a simple-minded way, "Pancakes. We're a-thinking of serving them regular-like" he watched me stop eating and gesture for my rucksack, "Don't worry about payin'cause you gave us extra in the rent last month anyhow's" he had a very unique way of accenting his words and jumbling some together completely.

Like sugar-coated puffs of heaven, the golden exterior of the pan-fried breakfast melted with the syrup at the perfect ratio of sweet and savoury—sent trickles of warm delight down my spine. I soon cleaned the entire plate and waited until the last crumb had gone before answering, "You should" Feeling newly invigorated I slid down from the chair to head for the door, "Later"


	2. Chapter 2

Inhaling deeply, I appreciated the cool crisp air that seemed to contain more oxygen than my urbanised lungs had ever thought possible. Used to the staler air of inside my room, I found this to be almost intoxicating. Less enjoyable though was the noise and bustle of the busy streets. My eyes skipped over the area and every graffitied wall and battered trashcan, was coloured fondly in my mind's eye.

Bits of green were poking out of the ground and buds were beginning to swell on the tree branches of trees that decorated the sidewalk. The air contained that indescribable quality of warmth and promise that the fairer days were ahead. It didn't take me long to weave my way down to the other end and I had a brief wait at the traffic lights before I could cross over the road, cars rumbling impatiently at pedestrians.

I cut straight through the middle of a colourful open-topped market, along one street of little booths - obviously the street of fish and fowl. Here was alive with boxes and boxes of fresh caught fish, clear eyed and wiggling enough to make me shudder. Vendors yelled their prices, or their best buy, and buyers shouted offers or amazement at the price. Baskets, bags and boxes exchanged hands, empty ones to be filled with crab or lobster, squid or sunfish. Coins went from palm to palm or occasionally whole purses disgorged their shining contents into the belt-pouches of the stallholders. I rushed past with the kind of irritation one reserves for an unpleasant task - I disliked being surrounded by the crush of strangers and always had.

Maybe I could blame my mother, I chuckled. The woman wasn't there to defend herself and she had been flighty in her day—and still was, if the truth be told. I loved my mother dearly, but the woman was in the habit of just picking up and moving with no warning, simply because something had caught her fancy. Usually it was a man, but sometimes it was a charitable cause, something she'd seen on a travel show or the need to undertake a new career like pottery or bee-keeping. While I'd been young, my mother had tried to curb her gypsy ways, but once I was grown, the restlessness had returned.

I understood. I had the same feeling myself to a lesser extent; always looking for the one thing that would 'fit' and fill what seemed to be a void inside me. I hadn't found it in any of my brief friendships or previous jobs, until my mind had been opened by the imaginative and unrivalled fantasy of RPG and anime. Even now at twenty-three I still spent almost every hour of my waking moments passing the time with something to do with the two mediums, trapped in a romance with pursuits some adults my age might consider immature.

My mother was still searching for meaning in her life, presently living in Florida with a man named Fred, and doing something with seashells—I didn't really understand the enterprise and knew better than to ask. The explanation would be long and complicated yet leave me with no clearer understanding for the telling. Sometimes I wondered if my mother would have been more settled, if my father had stayed around. Of course, that hadn't happened. My mother had merely been a week-long fling for the man. He hadn't left a number or an address and probably didn't even know or care that he had a daughter.

It didn't really matter to me though. My mother had raised me by herself and we'd survived, just the two of us. My mother told me she had called me Hikari because I was the one source of light in her life and I strove to live up to those unsaid expectations. There had been no grandparents to lend a hand, but friends had rallied around and I had grown up surrounded by my mother's good friends that became my honorary aunts and uncles. Frowning, I realised I hadn't seen some of those people in almost a year. Maybe when this next job finished, I'd make time for a visit...

Mulling the idea over in my head, I pushed my tangled locks back from my face. Breeze definitely had a detrimental effect on my hair, which was why I avoided the unruly element whenever possible, I thought inanely. A bubble of hysterical laughter threatened to escape and I squelched it back down. Why was I worrying about my hair at a time like this, yet alone laughing about it? People nearby was already half-glancing at me like I was suspicious so I hurried on. No need to add to their suspicions by giggling away like some school girl. Towards this end it grew a little quieter, the stalls here had cages upon cages of chickens but their trade was slower and many of them looked to be old or stunted. I looked away after seeing an expert knife-man beheading row after row of them and dropping him to flop headless in a box.

There was a fire stairway between buildings that I could walk under as a short cut to get to the store, although it meant walking through oily puddles and being surrounded by colourful but obscene graffiti. I hurried my pace. Years of living in this city had ingrained in me the idea that walking alone in deserted parking lots or alleys was a bad idea.

I could already see the general store, which seemed to be the main hub of activity at the moment; several people entered and exited even as I watched. It had signs indicating it was the location of the post office and the catalogue order store as well. A hand painted sign pointed to the rear and proclaimed unisex hair designs were available around the back. Light traffic moved up and down the street, which sported the grand total of one traffic light which I waited at before crossing.

A bell jingled merrily as I entered the small building housing the inner produce and paraphernalia. Past articles were pinned to the wall along with posters for free kittens and an upcoming fundraiser. The scent of newsprint and frozen food hit me as soon as I stepped inside the air con cooled vacuum and grabbed a basket. I paced through the aisles comforted that the store hadn't changed the location of any items around because it was busy and I wanted to grab the stuff I needed and leave as soon as I could. I took my favourite flavours of noodle cup and put them in the basket - three weeks worth, if I only ate twice a day, and the kind of cellophane wrapped bowls of pre-cooked rice you could heat up and eat or just have it cold if you were really rushed for time.

It wasn't that I didn't enjoy eating or that I had a boring palate, I reasoned with myself as I walked over to the counter, it's just that there were so many better things to spend my money on. I glanced at the rack of newspapers on display and noticing the date which was two weeks later than I'd thought, I realised my trimonthly copy of Go!Gamers had probably arrived by now. This printing had a double-spread walk through review I'd published on the latest Assassins Creed instalment.

I was busy wondering how it would be received, the editors contentment never reflected what my audiences response might be, when my peripherals registered a tall man with close-cut dark curls walking my way. From my lower vantage point, I could easily make out his features and my heart beat a little faster in appreciation of his male beauty as he came closer still with a smile on his handsome face. Did he come to this store often, had he often seen me in the aisles and was today the day he could no longer stand by without declaring his love for me? My heart was beating like a pair of wildly dancing shoes when he carried on walking past me and all of the wind went out of my proverbial sails.

Surreptitiously I glanced behind me and watched him continue walking over to a slender woman with red pigtails a few steps behind me who was studying tinned goods in her hands. He took the laden basket she hung from one elbow so she wouldn't have to hold it and I smiled dreamily; good-looking, strong, and chivalrous. Observing the man tenderly kissing the woman and then lingering to watch her walk away, I sighed with envy, my hidden romantic streak making itself known. What I'd give to have someone watch me like that. The fellow was obviously smitten. Wasn't that just the way? The good ones always seemed to be taken.

The woman turned to smile happily at the man at the end of the aisle and I caught a brief glimpse of her face. What a lucky little thing she was, to have a man like that! Hmm... Maybe I should ask if he had a brother. I wrinkled my nose and shook my head, quickly dismissing the idea. Nah—hunky men usually didn't go for the-girl-next-door types such as myself. They were after sultry beauties and sexy models that would look good hanging off their arm - like that woman. With a heavier sigh I continued on to the counter. How very discouraging and unfortunate for my future love life.

Behind the counter a middle-aged woman sat frowning at a computer screen and a short distance away a man of similar age was engaged in a conversation on the phone, occasionally jotting notes as he nodded at something the caller must have said. He glanced my way and raised a finger, indicating he would just be a moment. Of course he recognised me, even though there were stores nearer to my flat I always came to this one because I enjoyed the repetition of routine and new places made me nervous.

I leaned against the counter and waited patiently for the man to finish his business. It was a short wait and soon he was strolling over to talk to me, "Good morning, Hikari. How can I help you?"

I hauled my basket on top and gestured my hand, "Just these, thanks, and my Go!Gamers magazine should be in the back" I began to fish in my backpack for my purse.

He smiled as he began tagging the items with his scanner, the machine let out a beep whenever he did so, "You're quite right, I knew you'd be coming in for it soon so I left it under here" The woman had abandoned her computer, now possibly thinking that a newcomer was more interesting than whatever website she had been clicking away on. He took a moment to reach under the counter and after scanning it he put it in a plastic bag, which was just as well - I'd be stepping on toes all the way home if I read it whilst I walked.

As she approached the counter, Mel decided she was a perfect match for her co-worker; both average height and weight with grey sprinkled throughout their hair. She had the same friendly, inquiring smile as the man did, too, "Do you have a column in this edition? You've been on its regular mailing list for years"

The man was still scanning his way through the mountain of noodle cups and I began to slowly grit my teeth. I still couldn't find my purse, "Yes" I replied shortly because I had no time nor wish to explain the finer workings of Assassins Creed either of them, "How much do I owe you?" I finally fisted my scrabbling fingers around what I sought and brought out my purse, it was black and red with a logo of DeadPool's mask on.

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully and I absentmindedly noted how the overhead lighting shone off his mostly balding head, the shiny area being surrounded by a greying fringe, "Ten" I fished out the note and put it on the counter, scooping up the bags and leaving before he could ask if I wanted a receipt because I didn't.

All the walk home I wished that I had powers of invisibility or a force field around me that created a shield people couldn't touch through. As it was I got jostled around once or twice in the crowds that had seemed to thicken with even more shoppers and twice found myself being directed by the crush in a way opposite than I wanted to go. Clutching my plastic shopping bags like a weapon I bashed a few knees until I was clear and I could see the welcoming sight of the cafe calling out for me like some huge, pulsating homing beacon. I wanted to be alone in my own room more than anything else in the world right then.

When the light flashed green I scuttled across my pace getting faster until I realised with a jolt that I was running and slowed down dramatically before I passed the cafeteria windows. My chest was heaving unpleasantly with the exercise and I could see how pale and sweaty I looked in the reflection of the glass where the sun hit it just right. Sure I had gotten nervous in large crowds before but this kind of severe reaction to just going to the shop seemed a tad much! Who knew what panic gripped me as my fingers found the doorframe but it was cleansed by relief when I edged my way inside and slammed the door with unnecessary force so a few customers glanced curiously my way.

The diner was bright and clean, with white counters and red vinyl covered seats. Red checked curtains hung from the large plate glass window, tied back so as to not obstruct the view of the street. A white board had daily specials listed on it, and a glass display case showed a variety of homemade baked goods. The proprietress Sayura seemed to sense I was having a moment of ill and began to rouse everybody into singing 'Happy Birthday' to a small tot who sat in a melting puddle of ice cream and presents. Ru-Shan's frame filled the doorway and his arms strained under the weight of a pale blue cake scattered with flaming candles to form the number four. Under the cover of the little boys cries I crept away and everybody soon forgot about the potential agoraphobiac one flight of stairs above them.


	3. Chapter 3

Moving the cursor, I blew a puff of air up over my face causing my blonde bangs to float up and then settle on my forehead again. Annoyingly my long lashes kept catching in the too-long fringe of hair—I really needed to make time for a cut, I reminded myself—but I didn't dare take my hand off the mouse to push my hair out of the way. Blinking rapidly, I managed to free my lashes and clear my vision.

My other hand rested on the Go!Gamer copy in my lap, my fingers beating an impatient tattoo on the cover. When my hands had stopped shaking enough to lock the door I had boiled the kettle and made myself my first ramen pot of the day, then settled down into my laptop chair to read the replies to my last review with daily news streaming in the background.

If I was looking for a secure career computers were the way to go, but I knew I'd never be able to sit in an office all day, every day. Being in one place too long didn't suit me—I had 'itchy feet' just like my mother, which was probably why I'd constantly drifted from one job to another in the past. After the initial thrill of learning a new skill wore off, I soon lost interest and found myself searching the want ads for yet another new position. That all changed when I became a beta-tester and RPG reviewer, now the employer paid me to move around an entirely new virtual world. It wasn't a great wage, but it was something I enjoyed, and helped lessen the restlessness within me. Talking to people, visiting new locations, researching backgrounds; each day was different.

Almost all of my review replies were pleasant and most of them expressed thanks at my helpful tips aside from one, shunted in at the bottom as if the editor hadn't wanted to include it but needed to in order to balance the public commentary out fairly.

It read: Whilst I managed to pass some time reading what I already knew about FFV I couldn't help but notice you missed out the third secret cave accessible only with Gold Chocobo with the Knights of Round materia inside. Perhaps you didn't think this was important enough to include, but in your shoes I would have done so. Waiting for your next publication, Rintaro.

This was the most recent of irritating enlightenments that had been printed over the last nine months, always the writer pointed out some tiny but always obvious quest or item that I had overlooked in my walkthrough and listed his or her name as Rintaro and didn't leave an address. I noticed I had began to grit my teeth so hard whilst reading it my jaw was going numb, I threw the copy of Go!Gamer aside spitefully and rubbed my cheek. Stupid, stupid! How could I have overlooked something like that, again?!

Whilst I had done all this my subconscious had been tapping away at the mouse to enter my password and access my email. After deleting and reading a few automatic emails sent by a few of the magazines I subscribed too and one from my editor thanking me for my part but if I carried on slipping up he might have to track down this Rintaro and offer him my job. I had to lift my hands into the air quickly as I was hit by the sudden urge to throw whatever was in front of me - and I couldn't afford a replacement laptop.

After calming down and sending that one straight into the trash my last two emails cheered me up substantially. One was that the replica LOTR sword inscribed with Sindarin I had bought online yesterday was going to be at the post office to collect in the next three to four working days, the other was a job offer.

A man named Mr. Yamaga had contacted me on behalf of an anonymous client—a wealthy client, no less—to play an VRMMORPG that he or she had created and write an in-depth report detailing its good points, flaws and any potential bugs in the coding. This was commonplace ever since The World Seed - technology to make popular games such as Sword Art Online and Alfhiem Online was uploaded free to use for anybody on the web. I was a little surprised to be contacted by the man though, wondering how he'd come by my name. He claimed to have phoned my office asking for someone of such talents who would be acceptable for the position and one of the secretaries had passed my name along, I hesitantly accepted the explanation.

It was against rules to show favouritism, and I was curious as to who had put in the good word for me. He had stated that I had been chosen from a number of other candidates, but that there would be a few other Beta-testers I would come across at some point too. I guessed it was best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Not quite sure what to make of it all, I shrugged and read over his offer again before deciding. Even though I had two other games that I needed to complete and finish writing up my evaluations on I needed the money and couldn't afford to be too choosy. If the game was good enough perhaps I could get in touch with him regarding a potential review in my pages of Go!Gamer.

The man had presented me with a pretty much standard job offer; in exchange for a ridiculously large sum of money, much more than I usually got for being a beta-tester for a game. The extravagant payment was the only thing that seemed strange to me, maybe the client of Mr. Yamaga was the head of a big VRMMORPG company. After throughly checking out the references Mr. Yamaha sent me I decided the job was legitimate and had agreed to the man's terms. It was pretty simple. Play and complete the game to its fullest capacity which meant not only beating every monster on the entire map until I was at the maximum level but also obtaining every skill, spell and item. I was to give updates on each new development to keep them aware of my progress, write a final article, and then submit it back. The deadline was very loose.

Last on my to-do list was reporting the real story without personal bias creeping in—another partial check. 'Report the facts,' the editor always told me, 'not opinions.' Unfortunately, I tended to have lots of opinions about almost everything, and found it hard not to state them. Well, I inwardly shrugged, at least for this assignment all I needed to write was a straightforward report on a game. An VRMMORPG wasn't likely to be involved in anything controversial and probably wouldn't be that interesting. After all, if if was all bad graphics, lagging and monotonous level-grinding without a hint of storyline; I doubted I'd be able to muster much of a personal opinion about that!

The final report wasn't due for several months, so once I'd completed every aspect of the game I'd have plenty of time to write about it. Writing was what I did best and those were the courses where I'd received my highest marks back in school. Words seemed to flow through my mind and onto the page in an unending stream. In fact, writing too much tended to be my biggest failing in that area. Luckily, it shouldn't be a problem in this circumstance, I decided. The report didn't have to fit the confines of a column or double-spread, so I'd be able to ramble as much as I wished...provided the game had anything in it worth rambling about!

There was a file attached onto the email, I clicked on it and a video window popped up. It showed a crystalline landscape of emerald oval leaved plants I didn't recognise the type of and rolling azure skies studded with pearly clouds. The camera angle zoomed through a picturesque village with thatched roofs and quaint townsfolk with pointed ears addressing one another in a day to day manner before passing through an abandoned quarry set in a mountain close to the town. After seconds of a dark maze of worm like tunnels the screen illuminated back into lush fields on the other side of the quarry-caves which flourished into a thick forest.

I found myself becoming excited by the prospect of venturing through the maze of towering trees and rivers as if really experiencing it and marvelled at the brilliant designs and realistic display as the lens zoomed through foliage occasionally swerving to avoid life-like appearing monsters in all grotesque shapes and shades of colour; when suddenly it opened onto a vast scorched plain of red earth.

This desert stretched on for some time and I was dreading the length of time it would take to cross it myself when in the distance rocky outcrops of mountains became visible. I thought I saw a smudge of darkness that could be a cavern entrance as we soared over, in the middle was a live volcano filled with crimson lava so realistic I could imagine the warm steam on my face emitting from the churning pools of bubbling orange magma. In the middle of all that lividly bright plasma was a small island which unbelievably seemed to have a rudimentary dwelling on. I lost coherence of the minor details of my room around me which I usually enjoyed like my Deathnote styled notepad and my Craft Knight statue of the heroine Sora, my Spider-Man patterned pencils blurred out of focus as I honed in completely on the laptop screen.

Before I could dwell on that the view moved on to show more fields and forest scenery with the occasional town before it came to a port at which point the camera followed a nondescript middle aged AI dressed in brown and his equally uninteresting son as they heaved the last of their cargo on to their ship. The video showed the ship crossing a vast expanse of an ocean that had unpredictable currents, equally turbulent weather like tornados and whirlpools and sea monsters, how was I supposed to cross that!? I'd have to grind a lot to raise up my level before attempting it, but it was days ahead. Minutes later the AI's survived to make it to a huge, bustling city carved from white marble. There was a towering castle of winged statue bristling turrets wrought entirely from bone, ivory or pearl and behind it shimmered an even bigger glacier, semi-translucent and azure it cast a pale shadow below and sat on a vast plane of twinkling snow.

Merchants hawked wares to flashily dressed men and women covered in fine silks and furs, grubby faced peasant boys ran around their feet in circles looking for an opportunity to steal a purse or coin. Magicians stood on paved corners next to statues of gods and sea horses performing tricks for whoever would pay them and a flurry of non-magical sparks speared up from a blacksmiths anvil across the street. Strange half-human half-animal breeds mixed in with the humans as if this were the norm and so I supposed it was. The screen faded to black and a fancy script flashed up in yellow proclaiming the worlds: Join us in Angelcestra.

I hardly needed more encouragement to click the window away and type a succinct email back to Mr. Yamaga, I had a million questions buzzing away and my hands were actually trembling with excitement but I kept the email short and politely enthusiastic because I guessed any questions I asked he would say would be answered by playing the game. Plus I didn't want to come across as a rabid fangirl he might have second thoughts about hiring and again - I really needed the money. Still though, this was the type of game I would have been excited about playing even if it was for free, and I got paid for it! It was times like this I really loved my job. I was all but rubbing my hands together with glee before I pressed send.

I glanced at my limited edition COD throat-microphone and picked up the Nerve headgear I needed to mentally immerse myself in the VRMMORPG. Sure there was much better full body immersion equipment available with superior security available now, but those were expensive and I liked the retro feel of the Nervegear.

Cradling its familiar weight like a kitten to my chest with one hand I waited for the reply email and was just getting ready to comfortably sit in wait for the long haul when half a minute later he responded. Mr. Yamaga's email was equally short and I got the impression that he was the kind of man who didn't feel he had to waste time making small talk or idle chit-chat, he said that he wasn't surprised I had accepted as it was an offer clearly in my favour and area of interest. There was a copy of the game attached named Worlds of Angelcestra, and he ended the email with the promise of future correspondence.

I knew full well I had a room to tidy and other work to do first but I may as well make a start on my avatar since I was already half-way through the other two games. I laughed at my own train of thoughts; I'd do anything to justify putting time aside to play a game I liked! I yanked my pikachu hoodie off and threw it somewhere behind me without looking where it landed. My excited smile was covered when I slipped the Nerve helmet over my head and plugged the wires that snaked from the base of it into my laptop. I wriggled to get more relaxed and my stomach tensed in anticipation as I clicked on the Angelcestra labelled file, "Link start!"


	4. Chapter 4

I'll just stay on for a few minutes...I reminded myself more as a warning of the impending chores and work I had to do than for any other reason. For those of you who have never used Nerve gear, the visor covers your eyebrows and bridge of your nose completely so whatever is on the screen appears to be right before your eyes and it's shell encases your head so no natural light gets in. Tiny cameras pick up the tiniest of movements to adjust the view when the head moves, so the effect is 3D and without flawlessly encompassing. Nodes resting against the base of your skull and next to your temples implanted in the frame of the equipment pick up synapses and block other brain movements to cheat it into thinking this is reality it sees before it.

Sounds fancy and clever, but on November 6, 2022, SAO players logged in for the first time, and later discovered that were are unable to log out. They were then informed by terrorist Akihiko Kayaba, SAO's creator, that if they wished to be free, they must reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if their avatars died in the VRMMORPG, their bodies would also die in the real world. These days the reality of simply starving because you didn't realise how hungry or sleepy your actual body was still a high cause of death in Japan but I'd never even wet myself after hours of being plugged in.

The opening scene was of the set-up prior to the game in which it was explained the King who ruled over the peaceful and prosperous land was assassinated and the magical jewels in his crown stolen presumably by the murders. A regal man with grey whiskers and a golden crown beset with different coloured diamonds was shown standing in a grand hall with gold-gilded pillars, the next moment he was shown lying face down in the puddle of blood slowly staining his velvet robes and the jewels in his crown lying on the floor next to him were gone. Days later his only daughter and heir to the ruined crown went missing to a public uproar, the graceful Princess had been much loved by her people for more than just her beauty as she was as gentle and fair as her father to everyone she met.

It went on to explain that without the magic of the jewels the fairy-forged crown was useless, and that until a hero came to unite them all within the crown once more a pestilence would creep across the land. Ancient and powerful evils were shown awakening from deep within the ground to lay waste to the villages they stumbled across, crops withered and children died of a mysterious plague that left bruise-like brands on their skin and didn't affect adults. The jewels were scattered throughout this perishing land and although parts of it remained untouched the entire world would perish if the crown was not mended and worn again by a member of Royal blood.

Finally the explanation ended and the view changed to a black background with a male avatar dressed in white boxer shorts. It had options to change the height, weight, skin-eye-and-hair colour and even muscle definition. If I wanted I could choose from a variety of hybrids including Incubus, Dragons, Imps and Minotaur. I sometimes played as boys but whenever the option was available preferred to have an avatar as close to my gender and physical characteristics as possible, so I swapped onto the girl icon by simply thinking that was what I wanted to do.

There were also choices for other species such as Sirens, Dyrads and Phoenix's; because I had never had the chance to play as a Succubus breed before I decided not to be a human or Neko-jinn like I habitually chose. It was an offensive/magical class and because the original stats weren't too shabby I didn't re-roll them. The Succubus upper armour was a two-toned design with enamelled pink breast cups; the lower half was a white half-sarong of a transparent material reminiscent of desert garb over brown shorts, red knee high boots and black elbow length gloves completed the attire. I selected the height choice closest to my short but willowy 5'1 frame and after a moments deliberating of making my cup size bigger than it actually was settled for its true measurement of C+. It's face and body were now as close to mine as possible aside from the heart shaped discolouration of cherry over the left eyelid, like makeup applied on only one side or a magical induced disfigurement. A character mark only Succubus had maybe? Perhaps other breeds had them elsewhere.

Given my knowledge on the differentiating variations of MMORPGs from text-based to visually aided I knew that some people bought games purely for more perverse enjoyments. Some games could simulate sexual intercourse and people enjoyed flirting on these kinds of channels, using the opportunity to create a character or type a profile more interesting than they really were. There were even entire games dedicated to such frivolous pursuits but I wasn't interested in them, even if I had played a few otome visual novels back when I was a teenager.

A tan might be nice but crossing the desert when it came to that would probably give me one anyway - as well as heatstroke, I reflected, if the game was half as realistic as it claimed to be; so I chose the same pale grey-white as my own arms - bleached from years of sitting in front of a monitor. I scrolled through the colour selections available and chose a natural blonde very close to the dull gold my IRL hair was but decided to have it flow like a waterfall of silk down the back of my avatar's knees, instead of the collarbone-length it really was. Having canary yellow with wild pink and purple streaks would be fun but what would be the point - really? Other people might enjoy it but I wanted to play the game purely to experience it, not get intimately close with other players or pretend I was someone I wasn't. Finally for the eyes I chose my natural stormy blue, which family and school friends long ago once proclaimed were my best feature.

As one of the first players of the game the username Hikari was still available, I could have spent time making a cleverly witty nickname or one that I felt reflected my true personality like some players did, but I was proud of the name my mother had given me. After hitting enter there was a moments pause with a swirling-vortex loading screen as the information was saved and input, after which a village scene suddenly flickered in front of my eyes as suddenly as if I'd just open them.

I was stood in the middle of a cobblestone road lined with cosy straw-roof cottages, blooming red flowers contrasted prettily with the white granite walls from were they lined the windowsills and grew in troughs lining the street. Pedestrians strolled down the sidewalks at the kind of leisurely pace you'd never encounter in the hustle and bustle of Osaka.

For a moment, I absorbed my surroundings, lost in wonder at the differences between the lifestyle before me and what I was accustomed to. There were no exhaust fumes, no angry commuters gesturing rudely at each other, no screeching brakes, no high rise office buildings blocking the view of the sky. Instead a man gently flicked the reigns of a horse-drawn cart as it creaked past me and a grubby cheeked urchin giggled as I rushed to get out of his way. I saw bales of hay and crates of apples with jugs of cider on the back of the cart as it plodded on its route. Life here appeared so simple and quiet, almost a throwback to a different time.

For first-timers acclimatising to this sudden change in environment and figuring out how to control your avatar with nudges of your mind - sometimes as simple as thinking what you want to do, other times controlling your attention down to individual limbs if you wanted to exert power into something; but for me it didn't take too long. A quick but thorough assessment of my person which concluded I had no weapon, two small HP potions and my skill was Mirror Move - I decided to wait until I had the opportunity to use it to find out what it did.

The first thing I had to do was find out where I was, a simple enough task as there was bound to be a sign with the town name posted somewhere or somebody I could ask. After that I would save my progress and log out to complete a day of less enjoyable tasks. With that in mind I walked over to the first person I saw, an aquamarine haired woman in a trailing gauzy gown who had been blankly staring into space as if she had just forgotten where she had been going.

"Excuse me" I smiled as I stood in front of her, "I'm a new traveller to this town, could you please tell me its name?" Her limpid eyes blinked at me.

She waved her hand, "Such pleasant weather we're having" When she spoke, faint traces of gills pulsed faintly at her throat and her voice was curiously monotonous.

I nodded, but the smile slipped from my face. Maybe I should make my excuses and find somebody else, every minute I spent in here was the same as one back in my real body after all and that work or cleaning wasn't going to complete itself, "Yes..Could you please tell me the name of this town?" I asked again.

She gently passed her hand through the air, between her fingers was a translucent membrane, "Such pleasant weather we're having" she repeated in the same inflectionless voice.

I set my jaw and frowned, "Right" I span around on my heel and peered around for a more helpful villager, surely there had to be an AI around here who wasn't just a filler-figure who could tell me the name of the damn place! I hoped not all of them would be as droll as that one had been, for all her realistic appearance her conversational skills had been singular.

A mother hefted wicker baskets full of potatoes in either hand as her child clutched at her matronly pink skirt, two other house-wives gossiped behind them as they carried eggs, bread and cheese respectively. All of them had ears that spiralled gently into points at the tips. I spotted the thin cheeked boy from earlier who had laughed at my pirouette to avoid the horse cart attempting to pilfer a purse from a silk clad couple walking arm in arm under the shade of a lace trimmed sun umbrella. His hand was creeping steadily nearer and unless they intervened they would be considerably light of Peri in a few quick moments,

Before he could succeed or fail his conquest - we'd never know - I tugged lightly him by the arm and he had no choice to skulk moodily after me when I gave him the kind of look that indicated I'd get him into serious trouble if he didn't. He clenched his jaw stubbornly when I asked him the name of the town and his eyes strayed intent-fully towards the departing couple, with a sigh I checked my inventory and withdrew a few coins named Peri. I raised my palm up and three gold coins materialised into it, and threw one across to him.

"That purse looked heavy" he said pointedly and with a sigh I relinquished the other two. He pocketed them and beamed a smile that was angelic despite badly needing a scrub clean, "What ya wanna know?" His pointed ears twitched.

"The name of this town" I glanced around as I spoke. The more developed an AI's conversational skills and coded personality the more difficult it was to tell them apart from players functioning avatars, however there were small signs.

Some AI's wouldn't talk or move for days or at all until you walked in front of them, some spoke only when spoken too and others wouldn't let you leave their sight until you fulfilled some quest or another. One way to discern between an AI and a player was AI 's didn't scrutinise or seek you out unless they were programmed to do so. You could have in-depth conversations with some and one-word utterances like I'd experienced earlier. All of them had the capability to stand utterly still at will like a statue and this seemed to refresh them somewhat as not all of them were programmed to sleep.

This particular AI had a feisty persona transcribed with angelic brown curls, "Oh, that's easy" He wiped his nose on his patched-up sleeve, "This is Goemon village, it's also known as the town of New Dawns. Would have told you that for free" he smiled cheekily.

I puffed up my cheeks indignantly and crooked my fingers, "In that case give me my coins back then" he stuffed his hand into his threadbare pocket and closed his fist around them.

He shuffled backwards and immediately adopted a fawning voice, "You wouldn't take back from a starving orphan would you miss.." He simpered, trying to sneak away all the while. I wasn't fooled by his sudden subservience.

I tapped my foot and put one hand on my hip, "You're an AI. Do you even eat?" I asked, but the urchin was staring just behind me. I peered around wondering what he was staring at and as soon as I saw nothing knew I had been tricked, when I span back he had vanished. Damn! I was glad there had been no other players around to witness me being tricked by an AI, and I would be submitting into my report that future players best be wary of him!

With a huff and realisation that if I didn't want to end up penniless soon I'd have to take a quest on or fight a few monsters I decided to find a store and buy myself a weapon. After asking three AI's the fourth led me on a winding route throughout the entire town with a long-winded explanation before he finished outside a stone building with a wooden sign bearing a carved axe and shield.

I memorised all that the old man had mumbled but decided not to trust all of the information as he had seemed a little addled, "Thank you" I said when he still stood beside me, fiddling in his brown coat.

"It's quite alright, young lady" he smiled in grandfatherly manner and patted down his tweed pockets, "I like to give new travellers a little something to help them on their way.." He brought out a worn piece of parchment, "Ah, here it is" he handed it out.

I took it from him and placed it on my palm before tapping it with the finger of my other hand, it rolled open to show a mainly blank map with a singular house shaped ink blot named Goemon village and an information screen flickered into the air. It stated that this was indeed a map, despite the fact it needed filling in, "Thank you" I sent it to my inventory and then was suddenly hit with realisation of what he had unintentionally informed me, "Wait, there have been other newcomers here?"

He had been turning away and paused to scratch his head, "Why yes.." He waited again for the memory to come to him and I forced myself to be patient, talking about this may not have been included in the AI's code after all, "I gave the same tour to a man about your own age a little while ago" he finally said in a thick voice, as if it caused him difficulty.

"Which direction did he go in?" I asked hoping he would remember. Maybe if it hadn't been too long ago I could catch up with little difficulty. It was always good to know what opposition you were up against - or who your potential allies were.

"I believe he went into that building there" he pointed to the store I had been about to go in. I nodded, it made sense. The first thing any knowledgable player would do is pick up a weapon before heading out to the field zones which meant I had to get there first before all the good items and exp were taken!

"Thank you!" I called again as I ran inside and he waved before walking back to his post.


	5. Chapter 5

With little Peri later but very well prepared I walked with a fuller inventory and new information on the other player, although it hadn't been much. I knew that he was dark haired and had bought a double-handed broad-axe but aside from that not much else, fortunately the ivy haired woman had been much more helpful when it came to items. I was now the carrier of a hieroglyph decorated belt for increased defence and a gold choker inset with a singular emerald which raised my overall HP by 7 points for as long as I wore it. Outside the accessories gleamed in the sun as I looped them around my waist and over my head respectively, settling with a slight weight that would over time become familiar.

After some bartering I had purchased three Identifying stones which identified unknown items that could be occasionally picked up after defeating monsters in the field, two Refinement stones to enchant my weapon and armour with, and a Resurrection stone to revive in battle if I fainted - it was the most expensive of the three.

I also bought a LVL six gold rune which increased the likelihood of finding money and the earnings I gained; and a LVL six spirit rune which when attached to my weapon stole 4 MP from the enemy in battle. When attached to my shield it would replenish my MP noticeably quicker, but I attached it to the plasma hand cannon which had been my last and favourite purchase. With a much lighter purse but a newly acquired confidence and a inventory full of potions I strode down the cobbled road cutting an impressive figure as a light breeze played the black sarong around my thighs.

If this game was like SAO in the respect you could track another player if your Tracking skill was high enough it might have been less of a task to find this mysterious man. I checked the main menu and as it was the skill wasn't available - still I didn't have the time to level it up even if it had been listed. After several minutes of asking AI's a purple dressed woman with ears shaped like leaves pointed her hand east to the road leading out of the village and said that she had spotted a man fitting the description I had given head in that way.

I thanked her and hurried on, eager to reach the other player and ascertain the situation before logging out. It wasn't as if the first beta tester to complete the game would earn the most money, and if I rushed I might miss out a quest or item that would cause my walk-through report to be inconclusive and therefore useless. However despite that I knew the more time I spent here the less time I had to spend on the other work I had to complete.

I wondered what the time system was like in here, and how many seconds had passed in the real world compared to how long I had spent in here. In the UnderWorld mainframe, the flow of time proceeded a thousand times faster than IRL and the graphics here were just as well rendered as in UW. As I meandered my way down the road stopping to talk to AI's who supplied me with mundane information I remembered that according to the demo after a field or two the abandoned quarry was what came up next on the map.

It was as fine a day as any for exploring, the sun shone overhead and blue-green birds with four wings chirped happily to each other as they glided through the still air. As the fragrance from the golden wheat perfumed my nose and brushed my elbows as I walked by them I noted that the interface that was far more realistic and complex than the previous games I had played.

I'd only walked a short distance away from the village when I sensed something different. A feeling of unease washed over me, a certain prickling of my skin, an awareness that the atmosphere of the field seemed to have changed suddenly. The birds were quiet now and the air seemed charged. It was a ridiculous thought, considering I could see nobody around, but it felt like something was watching my every move. Looking around, I peered into the depths of the thick corn rows, but only saw stalks and underbrush, patches of grass and ground. Nonetheless, I hurried my pace.

The feeling of anxiety grew and I walked even faster, my senses heightened. I was aware that my breathing had quickened and a faint layer of sweat was forming on my skin. Wiping my palms on my pant legs, my gaze darted from side to side as I stumbled down the path, no longer watching where I placed my feet. A noise to my left had me whirling around to face the source and my breath caught in my throat.

A gelatinous blob of lime-green ooze heaved gently in front of me, its sides shuddering with excitement as a crack formed within middle of the goop to split into a gummy smile. An information bar illuminated above it showing it to be a LVL 1 Jello monster, remarkably similar to the low level Slimes and Boars I had fought in other RPGS before. Although it had no eyes I got the sense it could definitely sense me somehow as with surprising speed it gathered itself up before vaulting itself through the air in a sticky trail towards me.

With seconds to act and years of quick reflexes from virtual situations like this many times before I summoned and equipped my plasma hand cannon, the bulk of it was reassuring as I held it out on front of me and yanked the single handle at the base. From the end began to gather a powerful red-white light and a moment later a condensed beam of ruby fire shot out to meet the Jello through the middle, with no resistance the flame pierced through the other side and extended three inches before vanishing. With a cry the Jello did the same and exploded into sparks the same colour as its body.

After accepting the minimal experience and measly Peri the Jello's demise had rewarded me I scanned around hoping I hadn't attracted the attention of any stronger monsters, although I'd welcome the brief training of fighting a few more Jello's if they slithered up. There were none, but ominous grey clouds that definitely hadn't been there early had appeared as quickly as if a skills artists hand had painted them on.

To make matters worse it started to rain seconds later, large drops filtering through the leaves and landing heavily on the ground making it slippery with mud. One of them landed in my eye as I was staring upwards and I ducked my head down before it happened again, in moments beads of water clung to my armour and I gave myself a shake, wincing as my belt noisily protested the movement.

As I approached the strip of land designated for the coal conveyor, the fields thinned out. It had been designed to look as though years ago, the area had been clear-cut for the construction of the machine but after its abandonment, saplings had begun to take root again. The growth was still sparse enough though that it allowed for a clear view of the ageing structure. It stood like a giant skeleton, occasional flashes of lightning from the circling storm illuminating it against the dark cloud-filled sky.

The rain was falling harder now; big, fat drops that splashed off leaves creating a staccato of sound around me. I licked off the moisture that gathered on my upper lip and then drank in some more that was dripping from the foliage of a nearby bush. Goose bumps rose on my damp skin, the wet fabric of my sarong clinging to me. I clenched my teeth to keep them from chattering and brushed the tangle of wet curls from my face. I jumped over a log and grimaced as my foot landed in a puddle. Not that it mattered—I was already soaked—but the additional water made my boots squish even more uncomfortably than before.

Wet shrubs and grasses slapped against my bare legs, wrapping around my ankles and slowing my progress. Bits of rock also littered the ground and more than once I stubbed my foot or stumbled on a half buried stone. Out of necessity, I kept my head down, constantly scanning the ground ahead of me for hazards, only occasionally able to glance up and search for signs of the other player. The ageing structure was within view now, the rusty metal decorated by shiny water droplets. Wind whistled through the sagging sheathing and faint creaks could be heard as gravity fought to bring parts of the frame tumbling to the ground.

I eyed the rusting monstrosity, noting how it rose on metal columns out of the ground allowing it to loom above the steep mountain slope. At its mouth, it connected directly to the mountain not far from the mine entrance while its body snaked downward through the harvest fields, ending near the outskirts of town.

In its day it had been sturdily built to withstand heavy loads. But now, much of the corrugated metal siding was missing while other pieces hung drunkenly from rusting bolts. Erosion had washed away soil near the conveyor mouth and the abutment while in some areas the base of the supporting pillars appeared to be disintegrating.

As the wind buffeted the structure, the metal siding banged against rusted beams. Creaks and groans of protest echoed through the air as if the conveyor were complaining against the abuse and threatening to crumble to the ground at any moment. I picked my way through the grass that grew at its base, mindful that bits and pieces of metal likely covered the ground and could easily slice open an ankle if one wasn't careful. An injury was the last thing I needed, although I did buy potions...

A movement caught my attention and he froze. The long grass and young saplings that grew on the small plateau whipped back and forth in the wind but between them I could just make out... Yes! A dark haired man was crouched near the entrance of the cave, balanced expertly on a narrow beam of precarious metal at the quivering lip of the decaying mining machinery.

I crept forward with practised stealth, covering the distance as quickly as possible. The beta-tester was intent on his job seemingly unaware that he was being stalked. Perhaps the clatter of stones and the patter of the rain were blocking out all other sounds. Or perhaps he was just so intent on the experience of playing that he was being careless.

Within striking distance, I stopped. I could attack while the man was unaware, it would be a fair turnabout. No, I wouldn't stoop to that level. In a quick glance, I took in his features. His thick blue-black hair was wet and slicked back from his face while beneath his deep cerulean armour his shirt was soaked, clinging to his torso and outlining his impressive build. Something in his charcoal eyes was familiar but I knew I had never seen him before in my life, because if he had the two navy tattoos underneath them IRL I'd definitely remember him. There was a green diamond over his head, which from SAO and UW indicated he was a safe player to approach - I had an identical icon above mine too.

By now he was standing back inside the actual conveyor. The structure creaked under his weight and I eyed the rusting metal and weathered wood wondering how much it would withstand. He backed up even more and I took another tentative step forward. It brought me onto a short expanse rather like a loading dock that connected the conveyor to the mountain side. The wood sagged a bit under my feet but then stabilized.

I eyed the interior of the conveyor noting that a belt made of some rubber-like substance ran down the middle of the floor space. It was showing signs of decay and in places there were actual holes allowing glimpses of the cylindrical rollers it lay upon. The rollers were supported by a frame along each side and it was on to this narrow walkway that I stepped.

The sound of metal shifting and groaning filled the air. I froze in place unsure if the trembling beneath my feet was caused by the buffeting of the wind, or if the metal monstrosity was giving notice of its imminent collapse. It was enough noise that the player span around to face me and activated a black cloak to hide his features within the same instant: that alone told me he was a serious gamer who could easily perform multiple actions or movements newbs would find difficult.

"H-hello" I braved the first words with a raise of my hand to show I meant no harm in creeping up on him. I had only now realised that with a head start on me he was likely to be stronger and could send me back to Goemon village with one swipe of the large onyx axe he had between his shoulder blades. Slim or not, he had to have high strength stats to be able to wield that!

After a few moments he still hadn't responded and I shivered. I had never liked these contraptions; this one seemed ominous and forbidding as if it was peering down at the insignificant creatures that had made it. Now, with a storm circling the mountain, that impression was amplified. Of course, it was all ridiculous fancy, my overactive imagination playing tricks on me.

My concerns must have shown on my face for finally the other player spoke, "Not so keen on heights, are you?" Beneath the hood he wiped away an irritating raindrop that was trickling down his face and considered his opponent.

"The height doesn't bother me.." I lied with a shrug and made the mistake of taking a quick downward glance. At one time the conveyor had been encased by a metal shell but a number of panels had since fallen off leaving only metal struts to interrupt the ample view in all directions. The land dropped away abruptly beneath the conveyor and the ground underneath was covered with a variety of sharp edged stones that had been dumped there when the mining tunnel was originally excavated. If someone fell from this height and landed on them, the chance of survival was minimal.

"Really? You're not afraid? Let's test that theory." The player moved deeper into the conveyor.

Shadows cast by the remaining bits of metal siding soon hid the man from view. If I wanted to find out more about the User I would be forced to follow. My anger over the treatment heated up and I was surprised the rain didn't sizzle when it landed on my skin.

I'll go offline in a few minutes...I swore fervently and crossed over my heart with one hand before setting off after him. Faint creaks and groans accompanied each of my steps. I kept one hand on the metal struts, my other hand was clenched in a fist, ready to react at the first hint that the other play might attack.

Scanning the shadows of the long, narrow interior, I searched for him. A flash of movement, a glimpse of a pale face beneath the dark hood... He lunged forward in the attack I had been expecting. He had found a metal rod from somewhere and was swinging it at me, instead of using his axe.

Instinctively I jumped away, one foot landing on the actual conveyor belt. It shifted, rolling forward, and I stumbled sideways. My full weight landed heavily on the side brace of the conveyor. It screeched in protest, the base of the metal strut I grabbed at for support pulling loose in my grip. Scrambling to find something, anything, to hold on to, I found myself staring down at the rock strewn ground some forty feet below.

My last minute attempt to catch myself was foiled by the wet floor and my feet slid out from beneath me and my body slammed into the side of the conveyor. The structure seemed to shudder under the impact, and the piece of metal I'd been bracing myself with broke loose and fell from my hand. Long drawn out creaks filled the air and in the distance the ping of metal striking rocks could be heard. I held my breath, my muscles tensed, expecting the whole thing to crumble to the ground at any moment.


	6. Chapter 6

Another shudder shook the structure and I braced myself for a fall and then...nothing. A warm hand clasped around mine and effortlessly hoisted me up like a doll, I was aloft as a feather for a second before my feet firmly met the uneven but in that moment blessed metal, "I just wanted to test your reflexes..." The caught the flash of a smile and he threw the iron bar in his other hand aside with a clang, "..I had no idea they would be so lacking, fellow beta-tester"

Exhaling the breath I hadn't even realised I'd been holding, I slowly relaxed my tensed muscles while trying to control the effects of the adrenaline pumping through my system. The structure seemed to have steadied itself, though the floor beneath me was now listing precariously to the left.

I was still a little overcome by the ease with which he had lifted me up which damped the irritation that it was his fault in the first place. Still the brief cockiness of his grin and his jibe slowly sank through and stung me belatedly, "Hey, I'm not some newb ya know!" I snapped then wondered why I was letting the words of some stranger affect me so much.

The wind was picking up and the rain was changing from an annoying drizzle to a full out downpour. In the distance, flashes of lightning zigzagged across the sky, followed by loud bangs of thunder. The storm was circling around. I clenched my jaw, thinking that the metal conveyor was like a giant lightning rod and I was a damned fool to be standing on it during this kind of weather.

As if he knew what I was thinking and sought to show he felt the exact opposite, he drew back his hood and I could see his face up close for the first time - despite that it didn't become anymore familiar to me as it had earlier despite the reoccurrence of that niggling sensation I got. Then as my eyes met his again I at least understood why I was feeling like I had met him before - there was a naked look in them a person usually reserves for a friend they have known their entire life. Then in a moment it was lost and a smug look contorted his face, "Your quick when it comes to making assumptions" he folded his arms over his chest, "Looks like you're at least going to need my help making it though this cave"

I fought down the impulse to childishly stamp my foot given the groaning metal undulating underneath me and contented myself with mimicking his posture instead. I was goaded by the way he sounded like he was doing me a huge favour, deigning to help me out! "Then you need your eyes checking, I'm going to do just fine" I snapped back tartly and paced resolutely by him.

On the narrow walkway it was so much of a squeeze I had to shorten my irritated walk to pass by him, I was aware of his every potential move the closer in proximity we got as I heightened with the fear of being so easily pushed off - nonetheless when his fingers lightly touched my elbow the shock was enough I flinched and almost fell off anyway! "You sure about that?"

I made to wrench my arm away, but the firm stare of his dark eyes and the dangerously loud creak of metal made me pause. Seconds later after a final sort of crash something gave way and the piece we were standing on heaved to the left, almost missing the mouth of the cave like a tentative plank, I surged forward helplessly caught along with the motion and found myself in a pair of firm, muscular arms. Actual contact had me closing my eyes, absorbing the moment, feeling nerve endings flaring to life.

Now I was close enough that, in the relative coolness of the air, I could feel the warmth of his body. The expanse of his broad chest was even with my eyes, his blue and white t-shirt outlining the musculature beneath the darker armour and his cloak. I could hear the change in his breathing, see the rise and fall of his chest speeding up. It was difficult to gather my thoughts, but I forced my eyes open and yanked myself away with as much vigour as I dared without causing the walkway to crumble further.

His eyes were closed but with a deep crease between them as if I seriously aggrieved him, "You know that you can't save in the field, right?" He explained like showing a kid how to use fingerpaints for the first time, "Do you want to be sent back to Goemon and lose all your progress?"

I looked past him gauging the distance I would have to risk jumping across the gap breaching the lip of the conveyor and the cave mouth awaiting on the other side. "I have a revival stone.." I trailed off, considering my situation. To go back to Goemon would be easier, I could save and log out then complete my chores before signing back in and grinding so I would be better prepared next time. But, the fact he would gain extra time on me rankled.

I looked up at the man and noted in response, a faint upturning at the corners of his mouth, "Or you could join up with me" Before I could protest his arms tightened across his chest a fraction and he opened his eyes, "I think some other players have already come by this way. How do you expect to write a decent report if they get all the rare items and events first?" His mouth became a disinterested slash again.

I was stumped, which was a first. Despite my shy demeanour IRL like many other people my online persona was a lot more confident with the safety of a screen and Avatar between me and the other gamers. I had to agree that his strategy made sense and would benefit us both even though it wasn't often beta-testers chose to not work solo. My eyes traced the outlines of his muscles and hefty onyx weight of his sword as I made my decision, he was clearly strong and would be good company to have for just this next map area, "A-alright" I nodded, "We can form a party just until we reach the other side of the cave"

He brought up his menu and located the player list, after a brief scroll he found my profile and pressed on invitation. The icon flickered up on my end a second later and I accepted, "I'm Torarin. You can call me Tora" he greeted as I checked out his information. He was a LVL 5 Dragon species four experience ranks higher than me.

"I'm Hikari. Don't call me Kari..and I think I'll call you Rin" As I walked behind him, I mentally gave myself a point. Getting on a first name basis with the beta-testers you were going to alongside with was a great way to ensure they would be willing to open up to you. And, while I wasn't going to be partying with this man very long, I was hoping to extract a few bits of information from him.

A frown crossed his face, "No, I don't like being addressed that way..Kari" As he spread out a hand to incline I should go first with him leading up the rear I noticed that he was looking at me surreptitiously. I knew what he would see. At five foot two, I wasn't tall, but I balked against the label of short. My legs were slim, and thankfully, due to that fact, looked longer than they actually were. Knee length, honey gold hair, and deep brown eyes gave me a warm, friendly look as did my generous smile.

I stuck out my tongue, "Tough" He looked like he wanted to argue the topic further but dropped it with a heavy sigh, which surprised me.

Usually my friendly, girl-next-door appearance helped me make contacts and win the confidence of those I played with but personally I longed to be a drop-dead gorgeous, sophisticated woman, who could wrap a User around my finger with a mere bat of my eyelashes and some pithy repartee. But if it meant my avatar bore absolutely no resemblance to my IRL appearance then what was the point? I'd never met someone in real life that I'd met online but if I ever did I wanted them to easily recognise me and not have any nasty surprises.

It was impossible for Rin to know what I was thinking, but for some reason the man's lips twitched as he finished giving me a once over. He made no comment however. I gathered my courage and leapt across the distance, my heart thudding unpleasantly in my chest as my feet found the other side - barely, so that I had to inelegantly scramble forwards or risk tilting backwards into the pit below.

As he landed with feline grave beside me I turned to examine the yawning cave mouth only to catch a glimpse of myself in a puddle of oily water on the ground. A mortified groan escaped me. No wonder Rin had trouble keeping a straight face. My hair was a mess, my surcoat was buttoned crooked, and there was a smudge of dirt from my hasty landing smeared across my chin. My shoulders sagged; so much for being sophisticated. I snorted derisively. Dream on, girl. Guys like this one didn't grow on trees. Knowing my luck, IRL he would be seventy years old, balding, and pot-bellied.

"Let's switch, I'll lead" he suggested and with a tilt of my head he crossed around to the front of me. I had a million questions running through my mind about Worlds of Angelcestra that I wanted to ask him - he seemed to know so much more already about the game than I did; but I didn't want to come across as an utter novice if I pestered him.

This was always the hardest part for me. Online I tended to be a bubbly, outgoing sort who loved to talk and was always forgetting that I wasn't supposed to interrupt with my own random thoughts. In my mind I tattooed the words 'Shut up, Hikari' across my brain, while ruefully acknowledging that it probably wouldn't help.

The air inside the cave was was heavy; earth, mustiness and coal almost overpowering any other scents that might be present. Almost instantly I found myself plunged into darkness. Even with my enhanced vision it was almost impossible to see and I moved ahead slowly, peering through the blackness, cautious lest I bump into something and make a noise to alert nearby monsters. Mindful of my own inches and unsure of the height of the ceiling, I walked at a bit of a stoop. Knocking myself out on an unseen rock wouldn't help anyone!

It was unnerving being surrounded by so much black. I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears and the darkness pressed against my eyeballs. Inexplicably, the air seemed to thicken and I inhaled heavily, trying to draw oxygen into my lungs. In fact, the cave tunnel was becoming increasingly oppressive. I froze in place, my breathing fast and shallow, my legs unwilling to obey my command to move. Damn, I never would've thought I was bothered by dark, enclosed spaces. Of course, come to think of it, I'd never been in a real one before and this reality was so realistic! I took a deep breath and swallowed hard before continuing to walk.

One tunnel lead into another, each seemingly identical to the last with small chunks of rock littering the ground and rough stone walls leaking trickles of water. Wooden posts and beams provided bracing every few feet, streaks of rust identifying the presence of nail heads. I wondered how long the struts had been there and how close they were to rotting away and allowing the ceiling to cave in. It wasn't a thought I wanted to dwell on for too long. "Why haven't we seen any monsters yet?" I asked the darkness in front of me, squinting to make out the green icon above his head.

"I used my repel skill" he replied as if it were obvious and I immediately wished I hadn't asked. Without that threat to occupy my mind however, I became increasingly aware that we were going deeper underground. Tons of soil and rock were over our heads just waiting to crash down. Our footsteps echoed down the long passageways and our shadows loomed on the walls creating menacing shapes. I could feel nervous sweat forming on my skin.

The barest hint of pale blue illumination broke the darkness, really no more than a patch of grey in the blackness but at that moment it was as good as a potion after a long days questing. The faint azure light flickered and as it grew into a mellow glow I muttered under my breath, "That's better.."

Rin peered at me over his shoulder, I saw the brightness emanated from his hand which seemed to have formed into a claw...it had to be a trick of the light, that couldn't be right.. "What was that? You don't want to get lost down here, do you?" His cheery voice echoed strangely and I gave a start when I noticed my party member were several yards ahead.

"Nothing. Just happy we're safe in these...er...wonderful tunnels" I inched my way forwards. I wanted to ask him how he did cast the illumination - it would have been considered forwardly rude but I couldn't risk missing something out in my report.

Hours—days even for all I knew—seemed to pass. We climbed over rocks, ducked under low beams, and sidestepped old coal carts left abandoned by long ago miners. The remains of the tracks that the coal carts had run on appeared and at first I'd thought that meant the entrance was near, but after walking, and walking, and walking some more, I realised I'd been premature in my thinking. My guide was silent and strode before me unhindered as if he had some internal compass telling him which path to take.

At some point I fell into a bit of a daze, moving automatically and barely acknowledging Rin when he pointed to a venomous patch of moss and changed our path. His stamina exceeded mine and I was more tired than I'd ever imagined possible. He could lead us anywhere for all I cared.

My legs were tired. My eyes itched. My throat was dry. I eyed the dampness on the wall with a scowl. It seemed to mock me with its wetness, but I knew the moisture wasn't palatable. Dreams of a long, cool drink were filling my mind when quite unexpectedly I slammed into Rin's back, "Why did you stop?" My complaint was muffled into the broadaxe strapped to his spine.

Without a word he pointed ahead, I looked and saw that the confines of the tunnel seemed to fall away and we were in a relatively large space that loosely could be called a room with several tunnels leading off from it. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. While we were still underground, it didn't seem as oppressive. I opened my mouth to ask him which tunnel to take next when a scraping sound to my left had me changing my mind. Something else was in the cavern with us, but where? The noise wasn't originating from the direction we'd come from. Silently, I stepped back, melting into the darkness and crouched down close to the ground. Rin took up a similar posture fluidity beside me.

The sound of footsteps came closer. He inhaled slowly and deeply, trying to analyse who was approaching. It was a earth type monster at a level that superseded over his. Sure footed, the newcomer traversed the dark space with no hesitancy. Each step matched the other in rhythm and stride until— A furious roar echoing through the stalagmites, low and laced with suspicion it vibrated the walls. Then the very rocks themselves seemed to move, gathering themselves together out of the darkness until the form of a LVL 8 Golem shambled it's grinding legs into view.

Damn! Rin compressed his lips. Obviously he'd pressed his luck too far and the repelling spell had worn off. There was no other way we could have been detected in this stygian darkness. The Golem considered them both before setting its attention on him as he was closest, it's mighty arm of stone rose up high to swat down and grazed a gouge of boulders away from the ceiling to come tumbling down. An arm hurled me aside and with a blur my partner came up beside me, his huge axe in both hands, "This monster is way too strong to be fair at this early stage of the game!" He cursed.

"Maybe it's a boss?" I guessed hopefully and he shook his head. I equipped my Plasma Hand Cannon and triggered a volley of six fireballs towards the Golem, one screamed astray but the other five hot true and large chunks of the stone that made its torso fell out. It gave a bellow of rage, using its arms to flail widely at the falling wall rubble that the misfired fireball had caused.

"An alert would have come up" he launched forwards and swung the large black axe to deflect some more falling rock aside, "Dragons species are fire and air types, earth type monsters repress our magic. But you're a Succubus so your dark magic should-" the rest of his words were drowned as there was a roaring in my ears; the ground felt like it was shaking under my feet.

Reality crashed down around me as bit of rock began to fall and dust filled the air, "It's a cave-in!" I yelled but had no idea if he could hear me. As one we dove under our cloaks and huddled underneath as the world seemed to crash down around us, I prayed my armour's stamina would hold. Golems were strong and difficult to beat unless you were a Siren or other water-based species, and if you weren't one of those you could usually trick them into hurting themselves with a few quick movements. This one had been stupid enough to cause the ceiling to give in partially which buried the three of us.

Dust swirled around us and soon we were both coughing, choking on the microscopic debris that filled the air. How long it took for the world to settle, I had no idea for just when the first round seemed to be subsiding a second roar had filled the room. While it seemed like hours, it was likely mere seconds. One minute the room was filled with noise and the next there was only the light clatter of the occasional stone settling into place. Slowly, I released the death grip I had on my plasma hand cannon and looked at Rin, blinking rapidly to free my eyes of dust particles, "Rin! Are you all right?" I managed to choke out the words.

"I told you don't call me that. Yeah. You?" He was coughing as well, his voice muffled by the material. His slate eyes were red rimmed in his grime coloured face. I assumed I looked no better.

"Fine" Carefully, we clambered out from under our cloaks, pushing away the small rocks that were in our way. Dust still filled the air, millions of particles floating in the dim light of the remaining light from Rin's hand, but the Golem was nowhere to be seen. Fits of coughing overcame us both, tears streaming from our stinging eyes. He ripped off his shirt sleeve and tore it in two. His armour had disintegrated completely and mine hang in tatters.

"Masks" He said curtly. "It would be better if they were damp—they'd filter the dust better—but it's the best I can do." Spinning me around before I could protest, he tied it behind my head covering my nose and mouth and then did the same with his.

Able to breathe somewhat better, we stared at our surroundings. Surprisingly enough, the room was basically intact. A light layer of soot and filth covered everything, but otherwise it appeared much as it had just minutes before. "I guess we were lucky.." I slowly turned in a circle, assessing the situation.

"A monster that level shouldn't have been in this map area anyway" he snapped irritably before rubbing the back of his neck and sending me a sheepishly apologetic look, "There's no damage here, so the cave-in was...?" He looked back towards the tunnel we'd originally then the other tunnels ahead.

"Let's check that one.." I pointed to the latter and, with a nod, he held up his hand to the glow reached a larger distance and headed that way in lead. I kept my plasma hand cannon in one hand as I took up the rear with a one or two anxious glances back behind me.

We didn't have far to travel—barely a hundred yards—before we came to a blockage. I stared at the tumble of rocks. Broken pieces of wood were intermingled with the stone that created a wall blocking what used to be a passageway. It was plugged almost to the ceiling with just the smallest of openings showing. Of course, how far the opening went I didn't know, and there'd been two cave-ins, so possibly another blockage existed on the other side of this one.

Just in case, I scrambled over the debris, getting as close as possible to the opening. There was a chink of light and the barest breeze of fresher air seeping through. I carefully climbed back to stand at his side, "I think the exit is just on the other side"

Rin stared at the wall of stone. With only his upper face visible it was hard to determine how he was feeling but his tone was clipped when he spoke, "Do you want to go back to Goemon? I could walk you back through"

I puffed up my cheeks indignantly, "No. Then you'd have to shift all these rocks by yourself!" I smiled and flexed one bicep, "It'll be a good chance to raise our stamina" I cheered before lacing my hands in the middle of my back, "..It wouldn't be fair to the other players if we left it this way"

He stared at me for a long moment as if he hadn't expected me to answer that way and now he didn't know what to make of me, before giving a slow nod. As one, we began the tiresome task of removing the rubble from the opening. All too soon my muscles ached. My fingers were bleeding, my nails were cracked. Sweat dripped down my face. I leaned back against the wall to catch my breath and took off the mask to drink a potion as I watched Rin working.

A sheen of sweat covered him and his muscles flexed and bunched with each move. He must be just as tired as I was yet he kept on working, each motion smooth and fluid, his face set with determination. Shoving off from the wall, I set to helping him again, carrying away the smaller stones, rolling those I couldn't lift, "I'll do that" He grabbed a large piece I'd been struggling with and easily hefted it.

"Show off" I gibed teasingly.

He pulled down the mask to flash me a brief smile, his teeth startlingly white against the grime on his face, but then kept on working. Finally, just when I was sure my arms couldn't move another stone, Rin stopped. "I think we can squeeze through.."

I first eyed the hole and then the breadth of his broad shoulders, "I don't know..." I mumbled doubtfully, "Let me try first, I can pry some more clear once I get through" It wasn't that tight of a fit, though the roughness of the stone could be felt through the remains of my armour. The fresh air and blue sky were calling to me and I moved as quickly as I could. One inch, then another... I was out! With the last surge my armour' endurance gave way completely and it vanished into a shower of sparks. Scrambling to my feet, I barely glanced around to check it was safe before poking my head into the tunnel. "I made it! Your turn!"

The sound of grunting following. I could see Rin's head, then his shoulders. Wincing, I noted the fresh raw scrapes and cuts on his flesh as he forced his too wide torso through the narrow space. Biting my lip, I said nothing until at last, he too was free. We tore off the masks and stood there panting. The strength seemed to leave my legs and I sank to the ground beside him and then we both just sat there, faces tilted to the sky, "We did it!"

I took a potion from my inventory and passed it to him but he declined it with a wave of his hand, "Yeah, we did." He smiled despite the pain it caused.


	7. Chapter 7

Twenty minutes later, I hobbled over to a fallen log and sat down not even caring if the crumbling mossy surface stained my sarong or not. My optimistic spirits were seriously flagging. The fashionable knee high boots, which had seemed eminently suitable in that they made me look taller, were not designed for long walks on such terrain. I couldn't even begin to count the number of times I had twisted and wobbled as my four-inch crimson heels made contact with lumps of stone or snagged on a tree root, throwing me off balance. At least Rin and I had parted ways after clearing the rest of the cavern exit free for future players, if he had still been in my party I was sure he would have been laughing at my sorry state. My thoughts lingered on him. Our goodbye had felt wrong. Incomplete.

Rubbing my sore ankle, and wiggling my protesting toes, I frowned, wondering how much farther I'd have to walk before reaching the next town. I peered ahead but the trees twisted around yet another bend, obscuring my view of what might be ahead. I'd fought a handful of Jello and some other low level monsters which had replenished some of my Peri and raised my level to LVL 4 so exhaustion aside I was feeling pleased with myself.

When I had first started walking, I had taken interest in my surroundings. I had no great knowledge of nature but even I knew that the trees were mostly evergreens with a few deciduous varieties thrown in for good measure. They grew close together, their branches stretching and blending, partially blocking the view of the sky and shading the ground below. Because of this, the temperature seemed much cooler than it had in the more open, sun-drenched space of the road. Still, my undercoat combined with the exercise of walking along quickly, had kept me sufficiently warm.

Now that I was sitting, the cold was beginning to seep in, rising up from the cool surface of the log I was perched on, while the dampness of the air began to penetrate through my remaining layers of clothing. I rubbed my hands together briskly as I looked around and tried to gain my second wind. Now that I was deeper into the forest, there was considerably more monsters around. Little footprints could be seen here and there and I wondered what types of monsters lived in the area. Nothing too large, I decided based on the size of the tracks.

It was quiet, and beyond the occasional chirping of a bird, the only sound I could hear was my own breathing. I inhaled deeply, appreciating the crispness of the air, the scent of pine, and the faint mustiness of the damp ground. The peacefulness seemed to engulf me and I could feel my earlier tension and frustration slipping away. A bush rustled nearby and immediately all my senses roared into overdrive as I sprang up and looked around for the source of the noise.

At first, all I was aware of was teeth. Large, shiny white teeth with pointy ends designed for puncturing and tearing flesh. Then my focus widened as I noted black noses and gleaming eyes, surrounded by thick fur. A pair of very large wolves were staring at me, licking their chops as if I just became the main selection on tonight's dinner menu. Some instinct told me they weren't too pleased to see me - or maybe they were; I'd be a change from a diet of monster flesh, I thought inanely as I stood frozen in place.

A low rumbling sound came from one of them and snapped me out of my statue-like state and I rose my plasma hand cannon up. They were holding their heads low and had raised the fur on their backs. I was sure I'd read somewhere that with IRL wolves that behaviour indicated an attack was imminent. I started to back away, not wanting to lose eye-contact. Both were listed as LVL 7 creatures.

Slowly, the beasts followed me, exactly matching my pace. Icy terror was working its way through my body despite the rapid beating of my heart. Surely, my blood should be rushing through her veins right now, oxygenating my muscles in preparation for flight? Where was that adrenaline rush everyone talked about? That super human strength that came out of nowhere when faced with horrible danger? I blinked, realising that my vision seemed to be blurring, the world was darkening. Oh great. Passing out in fear. How lame was that? I was glad double over that Rin wasn't here to see this.

Shaking my head and refusing to give into the panic invading my system, I continued to back away. I kept one eye on the creatures stalking me, while shooting glances from side to side. Just when I thought I saw a chance to run to escape, my heel came down on a large stone. My foot twisted to the side and I lurched to the left, flaying my arms wildly as I tried to maintain my balance. Fear made me overcompensate and instead of righting myself, I made matters worse. As I stumbled against a tree trunk, the wolves took exception to my sudden movement. They rushed towards me, barking and howling. I opened my mouth, inhaled deeply, and resorted to the age-old solution of screaming for help at the top of my lungs.

There was a whisper of gusty wind through the canopy of leaves - or had that been an irritated sigh, as the air shimmered and suddenly the two wolves sprang aside as a haze sped past the two of them. As Rin came to a halt in front of me one squealed in pain and exploded into sparks from a long score against its side, but the other leapt back towards us. He resheathed his axe and the breeze lifted the dark strands of hair from his face; he already looked much stronger than the last time I had seen him and although I couldn't see his level each movement he made had an assurance.

"Obviously, you're in no shape to walk" he commented as though it were of great irritation to him, "I suppose I'll have to carry you" And with that, he scooped me up in his arms without even so much as a 'by your leave' and stood to face the wolf. It regarded him through baleful red eyes and a low growl crept from its throat, it's foul breath fogged out like rank mist. Despite that, it didn't tread a paw forwards to attack us.

I knew my mouth was opening and closing like a fish gasping for air, but I couldn't begin to formulate the words needed to express sufficiently both my surprise and indignation. Finally, choosing the direct route, I issued a succinct command. "Put me down!"

"No" He denied simply without even looking at me and started running away, his long legs covering the ground at an astonishing pace until the wolf was a dark smudge behind way us and the trees streaked past like an oil-painting.

"Let me go!" I struggled, pushing against his chest. He merely tightened his grip. Doubling my efforts, I began bucking and kicking my legs. It made my head throb, but at least he took notice and stopped walking. "Thank you. Now put me down."

"Hanging upside down won't do your head any good, but if that's what it takes..." Rin began to shift his grip on me and I had no doubt he'd make good on his threat.

"Fine." Crossing my arms, I pointedly stared straight ahead, gritting my teeth when I felt his chest quiver against my body. He was laughing at me! The rest of the journey passed silently. It was strange how quickly he covered the distance, the scenery seeming to fly by us. Probably, it was an after effect of hitting my head. My visual perception was likely a bit off. There was no way a new players speed could already be so fast, "I could have taken care of them myself" I grumbled.

He rose a raven brow, "And that's why you screamed for my help?" A hint of a conceited smile played around his lips and crinkled the cobalt runes above his cheekbones, I punched him in the shoulder and he staggered but didn't drop me.

"I didn't scream for you" I snapped irritably although I couldn't say with absolute certainty that I hadn't. I had just screamed for some help from anyone, right? Still I couldn't deny I had been in some serious trouble before he came along and rescued me..but it annoyed me so much to admit it!

"Let's go find that pond. It'll be good to be clean again." He set me down on the ground and watched as I steadied myself, patting down my garments to release clouds of dust, "Don't worry; you've done enough tracking for the day. I'll show you where it is"

I nodded reluctantly, "Okay" Rin took the lead and I let him, despite the fact that the water's fresh scent was easy to follow. He clearly knew this game better than me and if I tagged along I would probably make it to the next town much quicker and less scathed. I made a game of placing my smaller footprints inside the imprint of his as I kept pace behind him, acknowledging whenever he spoke to point out a certain plant or insect to me and asserting the facts to memory. He moved slow enough that I didn't have to exert myself trying to keep up with him which was probably irritating for him because he could move so fast. I wondered if he'd made it to the next town already or had been loitering around, waiting for me..I shook my head to dislodge that last thought, it was none of my business wondering stuff like that!

"Here we are." He announced our arrival and sure enough, we rounded a clump of saplings and a small pond stretched out before us. The still blue water looked fresh and inviting without any menacing shadows of monsters swimming beneath, I was sure if I stuck to the shallow fringe I would be fine. There was nobody else in sight and I wished I knew what materials to collect to forge soap I could use to wipe this thick muck off.

The walk seemed to have returned me to a happier frame of mind for I grinned and twirled a finger at him, "Now turn around while I strip down. I'll tell you when you can look." I thought I noticed a faint blush creeping up his neck as he obeyed my request. He coughed with studious indifference, though I was sure I heard a hint of underlying embarrassment. The soft sounds of me shimmying out of my clothes stirred his imagination as well as other parts of his body. By the time he heard water splashing, the fit of his lower armour was decidedly uncomfortable, "Okay, I'm in. You can turn around!"

When Rin looked, only my shoulders and face were visible and I was staring at him expectantly, an embarrassed glint in my eye, "You look like a mermaid.." He muttered awe-struck before wishing he'd kept his mouth shut when I blushed. He quirked an eyebrow my way, his hands resting on the waistband of his pants. "I-I mean. I'm going to take these off, so.."

"I know baka!" I scolded while turning away. My back was now to him, I sluiced water over my arms trying to remove the grime that coated them. He slipped into the water and wading over to where I was. I paused in my ablutions and peeked at him over my shoulder, he glanced away a half-second after but it was enough for me to know he had been watching and the heat in my cheeks intensified.

Once again I firmly reminded myself that none of this was real and he could be a balding middle aged man for all I knew! Still this was the closest I'd been to a naked guy in any kind of circumstances, even if our real bodies were miles away and he was just an avatar of smoothly generated pixels. I gave an unexpected shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature of the water and my nipples pebbled into peaks. Busying myself with cleaning my gear he did the same and the quiet lapping of the water was the only noise between us, every so often permeated with the sound of a bird overhead or bubble of a fish around my feet.

We washed in strained silence and he kept an avid watch over everything but the spot I redressed in from the water as he ignored the act with forced nonchalance. My shirt had been scrubbed as well as I could attempt without any soap or sponge and I missed the reassuring weight of my armour. Feeling a little awkward I span away the moment I heard him slosh through the water and waited for the rummage of cloth and metal until I was sure he was fully covered. I busied myself thinking about whether or not I should ask him to party up with me officially again, wether or not he would decline or say yes.

Just when I was wondering what to do or ask next I heard him chant an unknown spell under his breath and heat engulfed my body. I looked down and gasped at the pale blue flames licking at my clothing and looked over to Rin who was ablaze with them too, as my hands rose to try patting them down I realised they weren't hurting me - I couldn't feel any pain. The fire burned at a temperature that was hot enough to dry the material but only pleasantly warm against my skin.

The flames disappeared as though extinguished as suddenly as they had flared up, Rin flexed his arm up and rotated it with a sigh as though mildly affected by the spell as I checked myself for any scorch marks and found none. Although not powerful magic, it had to have been complicated to reign the element in under his control, "Thank you" I smiled with a mix of surprised happiness. It felt good to be properly dry and the fire had erased most of the dirt the water couldn't.

"Dragons are fire types, a dark type like you couldn't use that spell" he patiently explained with a trace of smugness which deepened when my face fell. That would have been such a useful spell to be able to use!

As we walked with me following his lead I thought less about wether or not we were going to party together or why he was helping me without asking for anything in return; many times he threw out a hand to stop me stepping on a trap or rose his arm up to push a thorny vine aside so I could bend under it and pass unharmed. I found two more runes - an LVL 3 Earth rune to mildly increase my resilience to the element, and a LVL 4 Water rune I insisted Rin take because as a fire-type he was more susceptible.

Steadily the forest grew thicker until with the sudden shriek of monkey throwing itself through the branches overhead I realised the foliage had taken on a more jungle like quality.

The harmonious creak of brightly coloured frogs hopping in the shadows of the wok-sized plants which grew up to our shins lulled me into a sense of relaxation, the birds chirping overhead sounded like the singing of a friend. Aside from fighting some feathered lizards as tall as our shoulders and some quick reflexes with his axe on Rin's part when I tugged on a twig which was a snake instead, the walk was mostly peaceful. When he stopped me for the third time from tripping over one of the gnarly tree roots he even stopped sighing with annoyance and it almost became second nature for him to keep me from accidentally harming myself on the difficult terrain.

He informed me that Succubus like the Dragons were powerful spell-casters with good physical stamina which meant even with low MP they were still considered a powerful force in close-combat, "Although even a level 100 Succubus wouldn't last long against a Dragon half that strength" he couldn't help but add when he noticed a glowing appreciation to my cheeks at my choice of species. I pouted and he laughed before continuing, "But Succubus have great tracking and deception skills, they can cloak themselves in darkness better than any other type and you're the only type who can regain your HP by draining it from others. Phoenix is the only other regenerative type"

He strolled along in front of me, focusing on the path ahead. I didn't know if I should—or could—say something to continue the conversation, which made it turn suddenly into the uncomfortable sort. Yet, he didn't seem uncomfortable. I glanced down to my arm to were in life my watch would be in a humanistic gesture before shaking my head at my bare wrist, then I raised my arm to shield my eyes as I attempted to gauge how long I had been in here by the sun, "Is the next town close by?"

He nodded ahead, I looked in the direction he indicated but could see nothing but the usual green leaves and tree trunks three times thicker than my waist, "See for yourself" My eyes caught a flash of light sparkling in glass and I noticed a secret window here, a carved bough that might be a hidden doorway there, "This is Emiel Village" Back in a safe-zone he removed his cloak.

"Wow!" My lips parted in wonder as I immersed myself in the tiny details that made up the gathering of houses. The homes seemed to grow out of the very trees themselves, nestled in the deep roots and carved into the trunk or balanced on twigs high above. A mud streaked AI stepped out and gave us a once over from beneath his reed-woven headband and shouted the all clear, and the rest of the villagers came back outside. Soon the space between the trees was crowded but I couldn't see any players as far as I could tell, nobody but us two had the green diamond icon floating above them.

I turned to him intending to thank him again but he spoke first, "I guess this is goodbye" Rin stepped back as an AI wearing a cloak of leaves with her face also streaked with clay walked between us one some predestined coded route, "For now"

He and I stared at each other. We had been through so much together in so short a time. To be parted from him would hurt me, I was sure of it. "Uh, you'll be okay? I mean, you'll make it with no problems? I'd hate for anything to … it's just I don't like the idea of.… " I clamped my mouth shut, it was pathetic. Why could I not just spit it out?

He stepped closer. "You owe me," he said in a low voice.

"I'll see you again and pay my debt. I promise" I smiled as I brought up my menu, "Thank you for helping me" I brought up the system functions and frowned at the lack of a door icon. Where was the exit? I scrolled up and down the list several times before going into a frantic panic and checking every option I could, "I-I can't log out!" I squeaked,my eyes widening with horror as I took a shocked step back.


	8. Chapter 8

"What do you mean you can't log out?" Rin gave me a look that clearly implied he thought I was more trouble than I was worth and brought up his own menu, scanning through it the same way I had and frowning when he came to the same conclusion. "What! No way.." My cheeks paled as I felt all the blood leave my head at once and my vision blurred, I staggered woozily and rubbed my arms trying to keep the panic at bay. What if we were trapped here, like the players of Sword Art Online and Alfheim Online.

I felt a lump forming in the back of my throat, hot tears sprang unbidden to my eyes and rolled unchecked down my cheeks. The dark haired man's eyes were wide with panic and an irritated pulse flicked away at his temple but he seemed to be taking the news better than I was. I grabbed him by the front of his armour and wept inches from his surprised face, "Tell me you know what's wrong?!" Not a single person looked our way at the display, they weren't programmed too after all.

He attempted to prise me off and then when he couldn't awkwardly kept his hands an inch above my shoulders, flexing nervously as if he wasn't sure to put them down there or not, "This could be a bug, this game is still in development after all" It was all getting a bit much for me, and I couldn't keep up. My head felt light and spongy, and my limbs weak. For a second his expression flashed to ugly annoyance. The horrible moment passed and Ren's face gentled into exasperation and impatience. The shift was so fast; I floundered, unable to account for the sudden change.

My tears stained the front of the white and blue cloth as I buried my tiny voice which seemed to come from deep inside myself and spoke my worst fear aloud, "On November 6, 2022, SAO players logged in for the first time, and found they were are unable to log out..." I relayed the rest of what I knew silently in my head, knowing he would already be aware of the information. They were then informed by terrorist Akihiko Kayaba, SAO's creator, that if they wished to be free, they must reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. The trapped players in ALO were part of a plan conceived by Nobuyuki Sugō to perform illegal experiments on their minds to put them under his control.

My breath hitched and then stilled completely as the implication of what could be happening enclosed its icy talons around my chest and gripped firmer with every passing second; it was possible I would never walk through my anime and game paraphernalia decorated shrine again, never look through the Yoshi print curtains as I chewed on a Spider-man pencil wondering what RPG to complete next, I might never experience the joy of helping another player by having a detailed walk-through publicised. How long would it be until Ru-Shan or his wife discovered my comatose body, would my mom fly over once she knew I was on a life-support machine?

Finally Rin set his palms firmly on my shoulders, the jolt of contact was enough to shock me into not wildly gripping into him when he pried me away from his front. He peered down so that he was eye-level with my watery gaze and very deliberately rose his hand and patted me on the head, like my uncle did when I was a little girl. I should have found it humiliating, but in my current state it was oddly comforting. Something shifted in his expression and told me he knew how much I was freaking out.

"I'm sure it's nothing like that.." He mused but his voice held no conviction. He didn't looked shocked now - merely irritated, "Listen" he put some space between us but still held my gaze, "As beta-testers we have to expect this sort of thing. I'm sure the error will be configured soon" his voice was low and soothing, I found myself focusing on the dark grey of his eyes and the tiny flecks of blue in them.

"You're..right" I mumbled and with a surge of awareness realised I had relaxed a little. My hands rose up to brush the tears from my cheeks, they fell away from my skin like diamonds and evaporating in a shower of sparks before reaching the ground. He checked the menu again and frowned when it still didn't provide a way to log out, I mimicked him and got the same result.

"It must be a temporary bug, if this were the act of a terrorist.." He winced with regret as the word spoken aloud made my shrieks of panic start again, "He'd be around to gloat!" He rose his voice to be heard over my wailing, "Or to give the players instructions"

I stopped to wipe my cheeks clean and sniffled pitifully, "B-But we already have our instructions from the d-demo video.." I wrinkled my nose and recited, "We have to collect the jewels and get a fairy to reforge the crown, then return it to the missing princess"

He gave a slow nod and clasped his chin in his hand, staring off into the distance, "That's the Grand Quest yes.." He concluded, then frowned lightly, "..But there must be more too it than that. Why trap people in a game just to ensure they don't create a sloppy walk through?" He shook his head, "Let's take a look around, we might be able to find out something useful from one of the AI's here"

I nodded and looked around as I stuck close to his shadow, peering in a window I saw trees and flowers sprouted on the ground inside too. The plant life from outside spilled in through an open doorway and ivy snaked its way up the walls, clinging to the grey stone in wild patches. The building foundation was naturally steeped into the dirt, growing from the earth itself. As Rin questioned AI's I rose my head and sniffed at the fragrantly floral air, my feet stepped on springy, damp moss and crunchy, thick grass mixed with flowered weeds.

I had just stopped a chestnut haired AI with mud caked cheekbones to see if she could enlighten us when it grew cold. The sunlight flickered and an ominous silence draped over me. A weird feeling crawled over my skin, so I tensed. The light blacked out entirely. The two of us were illuminated around the edges with a soft blue glow that encompassed our entire bodies and passed like a translucent azure barrier half an inch over our skin.

"It's a teleport! Grab onto me!" Rin reached his arm across with his fingers splayed and I tried to do the same, my arm felt like a leaded weight and it was impossible to raise them more than an inch from my body as if gravity sucked me down. Incapable of moving I indicated my panic to him through my eyes and he clenched his jaw as he stretched out his hand further.

The room temperature hit rock bottom and an icy gust of air lapped at the back of my neck. I struggled to understand where my thoughts were headed. It felt like I was trying to lead myself somewhere, but failing to use the clues I already knew to finish the riddle. Come on brain, do your job and work. Then suddenly the freezing breeze was all around me. The moisture in my eyes stung so I closed them, and the pores on my skin shrank. I got the sensation of being stretched then sucked through an invisible tube like milk through a straw. Then it passed and the air warmed.

The rush of wind and the feel of speed beneath my feet ended suddenly. I opened my eyes again to kaleidoscope shadows of shifting light on my hands and dress, looking around I saw I was still outside but now in a giant plaza of aquamarine stones that glimmered ethereally in the bright sunlight. It almost blinded me so I quickly glanced away and noticed around five hundred other Avatars standing or sitting around me in various states of similar confusion and panic, every one had a green Player diamond hovering above them despite their varied species and colourful appearances.

Rin was beside me - he recovered from the teleportation quicker and span me at the shoulders, facing me in the other direction, and pointed over the mass of players to the top of a marble building where a man wreathed in shadows stood on a balcony, "Look!" He shouted into my ear to be heard over the din of the complaining, scared mass. I nodded mutely.

As other Users noticed the man they surged forwards in a screaming crowd in their frantic haste, each one clamouring into a frenzy in their need to be heard and consoled. I began to panic myself as I was banged and tossed uncomfortably in every direction before a hand found my elbow, I flinched back and saw Rin's tense smile through a gap of people. When I looked down and saw that it was his fingers curled around my arm he pulled me past the others and back to his side. I smiled up at him gratefully and his face was the last thing I saw before the entire place was plunged into a darkness deeper than night for the absence of stars.

The rising sound from a multitude of harmonised screams was the loudest thing I had ever heard in my life, I was sure. Avatars pressed against me on all sides and in the resulting chaos somebody barrelled into my back and I threw my arms out just in time to avoid bruising my face as I fell down onto my front. Rin could have been shouting for me right next to me and I never would have been able to hear him over the panic. I screamed as feet stamped over my body and curled up to present as small a target as possible, winching when a stray boot kicked me in the ribs or shoulders. I could feel the pain as acutely as I could IRL, this game didn't mute or block like some did. Then after a few agonising seconds of painful black later a red square winked into existence high above us.

Bathed in the faint crimson light that made everything seem like I was wearing rose tinted lenses I staggered upright and as blood rushed back too fast into my brain leaned sideways to faint the moment Rin caught me with one arm and crushed me against his chest. It seemed like the two of us were the only ones stood staring at the man in the black cloak and hood whilst everyone else milled around in agitation like mice in a snake pit. A klaxon alarm stridently cut through the clamour the User's made and everyone stood still as it sounded three more times. White words appeared under the red square reading: Admin Aided Tutorial.

The man in the balcony rose one arm and spread it across the expanse of our gathering, I surmised he was the one who had teleported us all here, "Welcome to Worlds of Angelcestra. I am Dark Emperor Momoga - the unrivalled ruler of this world" his magnified voice boomed throughout the stone pillars and winged statues of howling fairies, reverberating around the corners of the area and bouncing back with equal loud vigour. The gore hued light pulsed rhythmically like the beat of a heart, shifting the azure mosaic of oval carved scales purple and creating crazy shadows, "..And you are now my people"

"Ruler of this world.." A moss haired Dryad repeated, her tear studded eyes widening in horror, "Wait do you mean?! I want to leave! Mr. Yamaga said.." Whatever her next words were lost in the amplified voice of Momoga, but it didn't matter; I already knew that she had been lured here by Mr. Yamaga's promise of a great game for free. My mind blanked clear white with sheer panic and for a moment I saw and felt nothing, heard none of the panic or Rin alone staring at Mogoma with calm recognition in his eyes. All I knew was the sole torturous fact circling my brain which was like the players of SAO we had been trapped inside by a ingenious madman.

"Akihiko Kayaba and Nobuyuki Sugō were geniuses but both of them had fundamental flaws in the grandeur of their plans" His head tipped back so his clean shaven chin and malevolent smile was visible, with the rest of his upper face and body wreathed in shadow he looked ever the more menacing "Yes, they dreamed too big! Thousands of people died and it attracted unnecessary attention! SAO and ALO were well known popular VRMMORPG's-" his voice rose even higher and louder with excitement. Goosebumps rose to my skin at the undisguised insanity colouring his tone, ugly in stark contrast to the beautiful blue stonework.

A fawn haired Imp frowned and shouted, cutting Momoga off mid-rant, "Is this a tutoria-ahh!?" His eyes rolled back and bloody foam spurted from his mouth. He fell to the floor and those around him drew back as if whatever had befallen him was contagious, he writhed coughing for a second more and then exploded in a shower of sparks.

The Dark Emperor continued speaking as if nothing had happened, "I am the client of Mr. Yamaga who contacted you specifically because you represent a distinct lower working-class genre. The ignored. The forgettable. I tell you this so you know that nobody will look for you..for me, or for this world" A man closest to the outer walls of the courtyard ran towards an opening that branched onto a street and was thrown backwards by an invisible force, he skidded to the floor in a pile of limbs twitching and the spot of air he had thrown himself up against rippled.

With courage bolstering shouts others attempted the same only to meet the same end. Some attempted to shoot spells and arrows or even throw weapons towards the terrorist in the balcony but they returned back inches before him like they had been swatted aside by the same magical barrier, many of them piercing the Users who had attacked with them. A lavender haired man of an angel-like species I didn't know the name of dressed in white robes muttered a spell; the breeze and air gathered to become a giant shimmering fist. He shot this translucent hand towards Momoga who showed no signs of making it vanish aside from blinking, when the winged man saw this didn't work he slashed out his arm and several insubstantial daggers appeared - invisible but for a slight gleam. He tossed these then followed on with another spell to create and throw larger scythes of power which despite looking impressive also failed to hit the Dark Emperor.

Momoga clamped his lips tightly shut with displeasure and something within the shadow stuff that covered his body moved like he folded his arms in wait. The air thickened with the twinkles of floating pixels as Players impaled themselves on their swords in suicide before being regenerated again. At watching them I knew the same would be painfully fruitless. I glanced at Rin to see how he was taking this but his face was hidden by the shadows created by the firm downturn of his head, if he was upset he certainly didn't want me to see. I stared back up at the Dark Emperor. At the shoulders his cloak of darkness tapered away into wisps which rose and fragmented before vanishing in the rosy air.

When the last of the sobs had subdued and everyone had stopped attempting to take their life he resumed his speech, I got the sense he enjoyed the sound of him own voice capturing the attention of so many people, "The rules of this game are simple if uninspired, and that is precisely the point. I don't money or infamy..only the view the pleasure of you all dying for my entertainment! From now onwards you can only die if another Player or monster kills you at which point the NerveGear or AmuSphere will detonate exploding your real skulls instantly" he paused to allow this to sink in and generate the appropriate panic, but the most he got was a whimper. The crowd was stunned into silence, "The Quest is simple: survive and see the crown restored on the head of the missing royal blood. Only then will the remaining Players alive be released!"

He rose one arm and a thin, white hand appeared at the outline of a black sleeve, "Of course, but that way it seems easy and as if one of you might even beat this game.." A spidery finger crooked and tapped the air, a large sword shimmered into visibility transported from his inventory. It hovered in front of him until he reached out and clasped it. It was twice as thick as his wrist and made from a dark grey metal that reflected nothing and seemed instead to suck in the light around it, a bright white diamond was set like a gleaming eye inside the pommel, "I am the guardian of the final diamond you need to repair the crown and the fairies have been chased from the Eternal Glades for decades" he returned the sword after giving us all a tempting glimpse of it, "Beat me and you have a chance of succeeding but even the time you spend in here is against you. Every second this world falls deeper into ruin"

He swept his sleeves outwards and his form rose up, flying high and beginning to thin into transparency even as I watched, "This is a beta-test..so there are bound to be a few fatal errors after all" he gave an ominous chuckle, "I wish you luck, my beta-testers!" His gloating laugh resounded long after his body had vanished and as the sunshine eradicated all memory of the terrible crimson light four hundred and ninety eight Players began to scream and panic once more. Two stood stock still staring at the spot where the man had vanished, and I was one of them.


	9. Chapter 9

Five hundred Players repeated the same loud orgy of frenzied crying and screaming, some scrolled through the menu hoping the logout option had somehow miraculously appeared and sank to the floor wailing when it still hadn't. Avatars who had befriended others clutched them for support and those who hadn't looked for others to party up with. Pressing up against me in a cloying manner on all sides was a kaleidoscope of colours and species, fur and scales and armours and silks. A few just gibbered on the spot muttering panicked half-words and staring at the floor as if they wished to melt into it. I couldn't say I blamed any of them, but somehow I fought down the surging bubbles of fear inside of me.

I glanced over at the only other person beside myself who seemed to still have some fragile semblance of control, he drew his lip tightly between his teeth and I caught the frown he tilted his head to hide. I had trusted him in so far and he had helped me by saving my life on several occasions, I definitely owed him one for sticking around and keeping me out of trouble or having an accident due to my own clumsiness. Could I expect him to do the same now his own life was on the line, or would he be a solo-player? I wanted to repay the favour but at my current level he protected me - not the other way around. I wondered why my mind was concentrating on what he might do rather than plan on what I should be doing next regardless of his decision. As it was he made the choice for me.

"Come on rookie, we have to leave now" Rin's dark eyes were narrowed with suspicion and he had to raise his voice so I could hear him over the yelling crescendo. Without asking he grabbed my hand and entwined our fingers as he pulled me through the crowd, I stared down at it as my heart slowly turned over in my chest simulating an emotion that felt all too real. My cheeks heated up at the firm touch of his skin on mine and I had to firmly remind myself it wasn't real skin at all!

Then I was bashed from side to side uncomfortably as we cut a slow path through the swathe of differentiating creatures and humans, the space behind me closed up immediately as soon as I stepped forwards and so our process was slow, "But we can't, the shield-" I began but he interrupted, letting go of my hand. He seemed unwilling to touch me unless in the most dire of circumstances and never for extended periods of time.

"-Will have vanished now he's gone" he explained curtly without looking once over his shoulder to check that I was still behind him, trusting I'd keep up, "Follow me" he commanded in a tone that inclined no back-chat and crooked his finger at me.

I nodded grimly; stumbling to join him then ran without asking where we were going or even questioning to myself wether or not I should tail him. I could hardly see over the heads of everybody blundering around to the alleyway mouth Rin was making a beeline for, every so often I banged into somebody or they elbowed me - luckily rarer still I found myself unpleasantly jammed under somebodies armpit. Thankfully I wasn't knocked down again.

At first it was difficult to manoeuvre my way through the pressing crush of Players and it was like being one of the sardines that came preserve-packed in tins my mother used to pan-fry sometimes, or mindless cattle in a panicked herd. Then the tide of Avatars turned and took me in the direction of an alleyway rather than north-west-east-south in any direction the current pleased.

I dug my heels in worriedly when the entrance to the alleyway loomed too fast - I had caught up to Rin already who was managing to keep even pace and attempted a back peddle when I was carried past him. If I kept on going at this speed and the shield was still in place I would be crushed against it and smashed into star-sparkles. My revival stone would be useless then. I paled and my mouth opened to scream as I threw my hands up in front of my face protectively, stiffening against the expected pain of slamming into the unyielding invisible surface. It was endlessly terrifying not knowing when it would come and wether or not it even was still there.

We were shunted forwards. At the last moment I heard Rin's voice thread through the agitation, "Grab on" he sounded reluctant. A hand snaked through all the others, the white sleeve pulled back snagged on somebodies armour to expose a well formed wrist tattooed with three black bands, "Go on" he wriggled his fingers so I knew it was his.

I held on like it was an anchor and gripped to the lifeline as familiar blue lines painted the forms of those who touched the gateway. Pushing through a thick, unyielding wall of rubbery substance. It stretched against me, refusing entry, but I forced the pressure to abide by my will and felt us slip through the portal that opened.

Our surroundings shifted from faded grey stone to vibrant green and aside from the two of us I felt we were alone. Rin's hand let go of mine the moment he solidified and I felt its absence acutely. I cast a glance around to ascertain what I felt was true and when the foliage was clear of monsters only then did I allow myself to sink to my knees with a heavy sigh.

Tears should have come with the pain that burned inside my chest, the knowledge that I could die in here and never return home to my messy little flat of treasured toys above the cafeteria owned by the ageing couple who treated me like their granddaughter; but all I felt was crippling exhaustion and my eyes stung but remained dry. I wondered how long it would take for them to realise it had been days since my last appearance - to knock many times on my door and come in uninvited when nobody answered. What would Sayura think of all the clutter, would she scream or gasp when she picked her way across the mess to find my comatose body slumped at the laptop? Ru-Shan would use his strength to carry me onto the futon and she would run downstairs to telephone the ambulance, and then..I couldn't mentally walk that path any further for fear of going insane with despair.

Rin was still stood with his back to me from when he had teleported simultaneously next to me, with his quick thinking and no direct skin-to-skin contact to another User we had luckily been transported alone to this unknown location. I had no idea where we were and hoped we hadn't been sent too far - the monsters we encountered might be strong enough to kill us otherwise. Knowing being killed by one of them would fry my brain IRL instead of just sending me back to the last tone I had visited filled me with a sense of dreadful anticipation.

Although I'd just told myself firmly not to linger on such morbid thoughts, unconsciously an image of my mother flitted up in my mind. She was lay as if sleeping across a hospital bed in which a figure lay without moving, her shoulders heaved to show she was crying. I wondered how she would wear her hair now, was it still fashioned long and almost the same colour as I had inherited only an attractively brighter shade? My last thought before I forced myself to speak before I went crazy with the silence and nastiness in my head was that it was me she cried over in the hospital bed.

"So what do we do now?" I asked before biting down on my lip. In my haste to fill the silence I had sounded awfully presumptuous. I had no idea wether or not he wanted me dragging him down, I knew he was at a higher level than me so I wouldn't be of any use to him, "S-sorry, I-I mean-" I rose my hands up to cover my mouth and I could feel the heat radiating from my cheeks. What was going on?! I didn't blush like some school-girl like this usually, and even avoided people at the best of times.

Rin turned around to face me, the smallest of smiles lifted one corner of his mouth so only one side of the markings under his eyes rose, "Isn't it obvious?" He rose one arm over his shoulder and the bicep bulged reflexively as he touched the hilt of his huge axe as though for comfort, "We do what the Dark Emperor told us to do"

My hands fell down to land softly on my thighs, I crossed my legs underneath me and looked up at him, "But..but.." My voice faltered and I looked down, a tiny green beetle crawled along a leaf near my knee, "..It's impossible" I finished in a whisper.

I didn't have to raise my head to sense his displeasure at my self-pitying, I could feel the distaste emanating from him in waves. I wouldn't be surprised if he marched off and left me to fend for myself sitting down with a glum face in the dirt right then, but it still wasn't enough to have me stand up and brush off my clothes before pasting a smile on, "Are you a beta-tester or not?" He asked scathingly, "Completing games must come easy to you. This isn't your first VRMMORPG" He stated it not as a question.

His words stirred some hope within me and I slowly rose my eyes from the bug continuing its slow ascent up its green path, "N-no.." I watched it make its way to the top, spread its wings no bigger than my smallest fingernail and against all belief they could support its larger body - it flew away, "But I've only read the news about stuff like this before. It's never happened to me" I stared at the insects retreating speck until I couldn't see if anymore.

He shrugged and looked away into the trees that surrounded us from all angles, "What would you do if this were any other RPG?" He brought up the map and squinted it a moment before closing it again, "We've warped a days journey north of Emiel Village" he squinted at the sky, "I'm not sure how long we've been trapped in here so far so I have no idea what the time is in the real world - but here it looks like night will fall soon"

I didn't even have to think about my answer and it instantly came out in a voice that sounded like the most natural one I had used in hours, "I'd explore the entire map to complete all the quests and get rare weapons until I was sure I was strong enough to take on the final boss-" I faltered with a shiver because merely mentioning him had brought the menacing image of the powerful Dark Emperor to mind. He was the final gem holder..he had Admin privileges, and that ginormous sword. It just wasn't fair. At too strong a level you risked shattering the sword and destroying the diamond within it - the last one needed to repair the crown.

I didn't voice all of this and so of course Rin could reply only to what I had spoken aloud, he gave a short nod as if to agree with my tactic, "First we need to use all the good hunting spots and get the best rewards before the other players do" he suggested and if I hadn't of been distracted my chest might have fluttered from his casual mention of us together.

I was still thinking about the royal crown and the fairies needed to mend it. What was is it Momoga had said as he departed? The fairies have been chased from the Eternal Glades for decades.. "The Eternal Glades" I repeated aloud and his head snapped up sharply, he fixed me with a penetrating stare so I continued, "That's where the fairies were last seen"

Rin weighed my words and tested their value before answering, "How do you know that? Did an AI tell you?" He asked slowly, his black brows drawing low down with suspicion or confusion - I couldn't tell.

I shrugged, I was surprised he didn't remember himself, "Momoga mentioned it" As soon as he heard that the tension that had been stiffening his frame visibly melted away and he took up a more relaxed pose.

He let out a low hum, "Good memory.." He commented in a forced off-hand kind of way like he didn't like to mention I was useful for something, "..But you're getting way ahead of yourself. We need to find the crystals first" he added as though every glowing compliment he gave had to have a dark shadow attached to its tail.

Back to square one. I kicked out at a rock to vent some of my frustrations but it did little to appease them, then looked back up at him, "So..what should we do?" I questioned carefully, intently watching him for his reaction.

He didn't seem to mind me assuming we would be travelling the map together and rolled his shoulders, "Find the next village and try and find out the first crystals location from there" he cracked his neck from side to side and made a big display of flexing his arms, I stood up, "We need to train first. You're too weak to make it through the forest without hindering me at your current level" he flipped one hand nonchalantly and I stopped dusting myself off.

I visibly bristled and only great self restraint held me back from firing my plasma hand cannon right in the middle of his conceited face there and then. He was so irritating! That had to be why I got so easily goaded by him in a way no other person had managed to annoy me! I spat out through a clenched jaw, "I can handle myself just fine" The next moment he was in front of me, sighing. I leapt back before could slam into me, my arms flapping either side of me. My knees knocked together, and I squeaked in alarm. How could I have not seen that coming?

Rin moved so fast he blurred, closing the distance between us. Crying out, I brought my hand up to ward off an attack, but he halted and pushed against my palm until the only distance between our bodies was the width of my hand. The steady thump of his heart pounded against me, and the sweet scent that seemed to follow him invaded my nose, making me dizzy, "A-Alright, fine" I managed to squeak out, "Training first"

He winked at me, then the pale soles of his boots flashed through the trees until he was lost to sight. Man, he was fast. I set a pace that ensured I would catch up with him soon enough, fluidly streaking through the air and swerving tiny movements to avoid trees and bushes at the moment before connection. By the seconds later I found him my palms had began to sweat. I concentrated hard on a single action before turning to face Rin. I brought my fist hurtling forward and encountered air. His face creased with amusement as he moved with the fluidity of water. My punch missed him by a mile and in a move too fast for me to defend against, he spun to my front, grabbed my leg and opposite arm to hold me taut high above his head. I wriggled and writhed unable to break his hold.

"You've not been taught to fight very well," he said calmly despite my furious expression, if my have been dampened by strands of hair falling into my face from my oddly alleviated angle, "Oh, you're angry," he said, and abruptly dropped me.

I landed lightly on my feet, straightening in a flash I got up in his face, though I'd to stretch up on my tiptoes to achieve the effect, "Stop throwing me about!" I ordered in as stern a voice I could muster, folding my arms across my breasts.

His face screwed up like he was trying to swallow something bitter and then a strangled noise came from between his clamped together lips that were slowly fighting to creep up at the corners. As I realised he was trying hard not to laugh he gave in and the loud noise boomed out, the echo of happiness startling birds and lizards to fly from the treetops above. It was the first time I had heard the sound and for the moment I didn't mind that my ridicule had been its source, I was just surprisingly happy to hear it. I was even more surprised another more tentative laugh rose up to meet it, as it grew in strength I realised it came from my own mouth, I clutched my aching sides as a monkey screamed in alert to the sound and flung itself into a tree further away. For the first time in hours I felt like everything might be okay.


	10. Chapter 10

Rin took up a standing stance with his legs apart, his hands came to rest on his narrow hips. "You do understand the physical aspect of your nature?" He repeated when I'd stared at him with a dumbstruck look the first time he had asked. We were in the same patch of forest that we had been training in earlier and the lack of animals in the trodden underbrush indicated we had wrestled there for some time.

Disconcerted, I rubbed my nose. I hadn't thought of what being a Succubus entailed. I knew that they were fierce and hard. They healed fast by leeching the life from others and were the most powerful of the female demon species. They had strong characters and were beautiful. They had buckets of pride and protected what they thought was theirs. They had dark magic. I was one of them. But what did it mean to be a Succubus? Was there a pecking order? And who protected and guided them? Did they live as nomads and in small families of large colonies? I shrugged, "I'm fast..you said I could use magic, and I'm strong in battle" My brow creased in thought, "Didn't you mention I can drain HP from others?"

He nodded, "Right. You really do have a good memory, Hikari" he always seemed surprised to hear a compliment for me coming from his own lips, he shook his head to clear his face of shock and awkwardly coughed into his hand, "Have you measured your strength?"

I stuck my tongue out at him and placed my legs a foot apart, bending my knees like I was going to do some damage. "I haven't thought about it. I haven't thought about much to be honest. Stuff keeps happening a tad fast" I snapped sarcastically, hoping he'd get the message and lay off me a little. Over the last hour he had drilled into me how important grinding up levels was as if I I didn't know already and had plodded me through the baby steps of combat like I was a newb! Balling my hands into fists, I pushed all thought to the back of my head to clear up some thinking space. "I'm ready. Let's do this"

A knowledgeable smile danced on the edge of his mouth and sparkled in his eyes, "Do you know how to unleash your true Succubus form?" He rose his arms up to fold them across his breastplate.

I cast my eyes skyward feeling like an ignorant infant being taught a lesson from their most finicky teacher and gave a theatrical sigh, "No. But you're about to tell me" I admitted childishly, too irritated to be happy that he was sticking around to help me get stronger.

"It's with little concentration. Eventually you'll conjure and drop it with ease" He seemed to sense my annoyance and sent me a winning smile that caused a dimple to cave in one of his cheeks. Combined with his mysterious grey eyes beneath the fringe of ink coloured hair a usual girl would have fawned over him, but I stayed firm.

I was hit with a sudden thought, partly from remembering the way his hand had morphed into a claw in the cave and when he had used the flames to dry our clothing without burning us. The question fought its way out before I could contain it and hung irrevocably in the air as rude as a belch, "Are you wearing one, then?" As soon as his smile dropped and a stormy expression flitted over his face, "Sorry. Was that rude to ask?" I wasn't well versed in online etiquette as I was usually a solo player.

He nodded slowly, the angry scowl slowly melting away to resume the role of teacher once more, "It's suppressing the true nature of the species you chose. It cloaks our ears, tail and whatever else we might have to make us less otherworldly by fixing our features to one state"

"Ears and tail.." I repeated awestruck, "But how does it actually work?" I frowned trying to get my brain to come to coherence with the idea and finding no enlightenment. I simply didn't understand how the magic worked.

Rin let out a long exhale, "A safeguard is created around our being, and once sight passes through it makes us look more human" he explained patiently.

I rose up my hand like an eager student and a bead of sweat trickled down the back of his neck, "Why would the game include an option to revert into human-form?" I instantly shot another question at him, excited to learn more.

He sighed again, "You ask a lot of stuff...Its crucial to those who walk among the other races. It allows more freedom in certain situations.." He shrugged, "Some species might simply be too large to fit in villages or caves without it"

I still struggled to understand. "So, the ears and the glowing still exist but we just can't see it?" I glanced at my hands to see if my skin was shining but it was dull before massaging my earlobes to see if they felt any different and they didn't.

He tapped the side of his temple, "The spell disrupts what the mind perceives to be true. If you cannot see, smell, touch, or hear a thing why would you believe it is there?"

I nodded slowly, coming to terms with the idea, "I guess.." Already his reply had stirred up a dozen more questions I wanted answering, "But where does the power to create the magic come from?"

He tilted his chin and regarded me in that assessing way he did when he found me unusually perceptive, "Each species power comes from the Source of course, and it is vast and limitless. It is energy. Energy lives in all things, constantly evolving and blending into something new" he pointed to himself, "Dragons and Demons have the strongest natural awareness of the forces surrounding us and can draw from the Source, manipulate its power for our needs."

"The Source? Is that where it comes from?" I grinned like a loon and all but stamped my feet with uncontainable excitement, "Are you going to show me?"

He nodded more easily, feeding off my enthusiasm. "The simple way to conjure is to seek the power surrounding you, reach out to it, and summon whilst channelling the energy. Watch me, then say your skill aloud" A pinball of light appeared overhead, bloating to become a small ball of blue fire. It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen, more awesome than seeing this world for the first time or exploring it. It lit up the contours of his face in and otherworldly glow and the breeze of its power ruffled strands of his hair. I wished I could take a photo or somehow immortalise that moment to put beside the other posters of hunky heroes like FF Cloud and OP Zoro I had decorating my walls, then became saddened as I would never pin anything up on them again.

I became aware of something pulsing close by, a mini sun of colour and heat that seemed to be nowhere and everywhere. Instinctively, I drew from its warmth, forgetting my sadness. It was like turning on an unexpectedly high-pressured tap. The flow of energy flooded into me and spilled over the lip of who I was. To save myself drowning or burning up, I changed the feeling into a thing. Fire. "Mirror move!" I shouted my special skill.

The Dragon's mouth dropped open as a ball of livid pink flame exploded into existence, hurtling toward us. I watched the self-made instrument of my rapidly-advancing death in awe, noting its odd colour in a detached way.

An urgent sound muttered from Rin cut over the oncoming hiss and just before impact, the fireball imploded. It left nothing but a ringing in my ears, white spots across my vision, and enough heat to singe a few strands of my hair. Rin's ball of fire hovered mockingly above. "That wasn't as good as I thought it'd be," I said faintly. Up close his pupils were dilated huge with shock and his ears twitched. His face was stark pale so the runes were thrown into sharper contrast.

He released his white-knuckled hold on my upper arms and eased away. He'd thrown himself at me and lurched into an odd crouch when the fireball was coming our way, ready to drag me out the way if needed. "A Succubus shouldn't be able to use fire magic like that..It must have been a bug" He shook his head and his voice returned to normal, the repressed panic in his eyes ebbed away, "You have to give yourself time to focus on what you want to achieve.." The looked levelled my way was laced with warning. "..The greater the focus the more effective the spell"

I watched as his cobalt fireball extinguished upon itself, "More of a punch than the fire ball?" I wondered why I had been able to summon fire if it wasn't my element but like he said it was probably an error.

"Yes," he said warily and stood back up, groaning as if he'd aged fifty years in five seconds. "We'll leave anything further like that to another time. Alright?"

I gave a thumbs up. "Anything else I should know?" I chirped brightly and he sent me a dark look as he rubbed his neck.

He massaged his chin with his hand, "Our bodies are conductors.." He said finally after taking a moment to find the words, "..We can control as much energy as our body can withstand to channel, never more. Some species can absorb and use more than others"

My shoulders dropped as my head drooped despondently like a wilting flower, "I can't get better?" If I couldn't get better how could I fight my way across the kingdom to reunite the enchanted stones within the crown and then place it onto the Princess's head to win the game?

With my face bowed I missed the uncharacteristically sympathetic look that flashed unseen across his face before smoothing away into the mask I viewed, "You can become proficient so spells are more effective and you can access as much energy as possible, but in terms of measurable power, no."

I accepted this information and still didn't stop staring at the ground as though the grass held some great appeal for me, "How do you know when you're at the limit?"

"Trial and error." His voice had gone flat and the warning his eyes told me in no uncertain terms that should he catch me being silly I'd be in major trouble.

"I'll be careful," I promised even though he hadn't warned me to be aloud, "Hey Rin, how come you know all this?" I rose my head up and asked the question that had been bugging me ever since he had displayed his remarkable knowledge for just about everything in Angelcestra.

He froze in an almost comical manner before feigning a relaxed shrug, "Mr. Yamaga attached a word document with extra information onto the email invitation he sent me to join Worlds of Angelcestra" It didn't escape my notice he was acting suspiciously but his reason made sense enough.

I jutted my lip out into a pout as my eyebrows drew together, "I didn't have access to that information" My eyes bored into him like grubs into an apple.

He gave a grunt before pointing his gaze to the floor, avoiding my accusing stare, "Do you think none of the other players do, either?" He didn't wait for me to reply, "We should tell them"

I lifted a finger to my lip whilst I thought about how to do that before reaching the best decision, "A forward message linked to everyone on the server should send the warning to every player"

He nodded and brought up his menu screen, selecting the world contact list which listed every player including us, "Right" he scrolled to highlight them all and closed his eyes, silently speaking the email in his mind. It disappeared as a glowing envelope and flew high up into the air, vanishing amongst the clouds and wide expanse of blue above even the towering treetops; he closed the menu with a swipe of his hand.

I knew as I was on the list I'd also receive it so it came as no shock when within a second the mail icon winked into existence in my left peripherals. I opened it with a thought and the words appeared on the screen below me, 'Magic Users are urged to use caution when experimenting to determine maximum strength. Spells that are too powerful can result in exhaustion and Player death'. I shivered thinking of the large fireball earlier.

"Now that's done..Remove your concealment" His voice was serious, I loved how he said it like I already knew how. No pressure or anything.

Taking a deep breath I cleared my mind. Emptying my head of the thoughts of Rin was hard. The memories of us lying down covered in dust enjoying the fresh air after clearing out the tunnel, shyly cleaning ourselves in the pond back to back, reaching for each other just in time before the teleportation could fling us apart to opposite sides of the map - of every time he pushed me out of harms way, were electrifying. The slate eyes that turned me inside out and the rare smiles that dazzled, took considerably longer to purge. His face kept popping into view every time I managed to get the thoughts reigned under some kind of control.

Achieving oneness, I relaxed into a trance and for time unknown I simply, was. As my consciousness floated I noticed a pulsing deep within me. I strained to touch it. Each time I thought I had a hold it slipped through my fingers. I tried again and again, and began to feel sad; the pulsing glow looked beautiful and special. I had drawn from the Source easily enough before, why was it causing me trouble now? I reached and wished it to encompass me.

The glow zapped into me and overflowed from my body to spill my aura into the air. A feeling of bliss trilled inside me as the layers of the lie tore one by one. My true self clawed its way out. Like a drowning woman breaching the surface, gasping for air, my nature broke free of containment and ran riot through my body in a frenzied burst.

I moved and my skin stung as if a layer had been stripped with a knife. There was a heavy pressure at the bottom of my spine and something soft thumped hard at my back, pressing against the white shirt I wore under the armour that had been destroyed. A larger, burning pain gripped my shoulders in a vice until my back arched. Stifled - my back was stifled. Stomach muscles clenching, my whole body quivered under the pain centring between my shoulder blades. The thin fabric of my shirt gave way and I surged forward at the force of the thrust from behind me. The pain in my shoulders was gone, but the awareness of more was overwhelming. Craning my head to look round, my body followed until I was doing a crazy spin.

"Wings," I choked as the horned tips extended to flutter into my line of sight. I blinked at my own voice, a resonating sound of chinking crystals. That was me talking?

Rin was beside me, holding me up. "Pull yourself together," he instructed, though his eyes were wide with something the closest to awe I'd seen on him yet - he usually perceived down on everything with a detached indifference as if this were all below him somehow. His eyes travelled over my wings. He did not look repulsed but intrigued.

I held onto the sound of his voice, held on to his stern command. If he had molly-coddled me, I'd have curled into a ball and cried. His matter of fact outlook kept me grounded. I tried to block out everything but that closest to me. My body responded immediately and every sensation collapsed on itself. "Oh," I gasped and took another steadying breath.

Rin took out a knife from his inventory, grabbed my shoulder and with a swift jerk cut a hole in my sarong. Slipping his fingertip through the hole, he pulled something through, and springing free it thumped against the back of my thigh. I spun, and tried to catch the thick length of skin protruding from the base of my spine. Each extra vertebra was under my control right to the tip. I focused on the extra limb and it curled to hover by my waist. I clasped it and gasped. It was warm, soft, and I stared dumbfounded at the hard, arrow like tip. It felt strong. The skin was the grey colour as my new coloured flesh, but as it tapered the colour got lighter. Looking down at my tail, I noticed my nails had lengthened and thickened into talons, and my fingers were a softer silver than the darker shade on my arms.

I bit my lip and sharp points of pain had me tasting my own blood. I ran my tongue over my teeth, less like teeth now and more like fangs. My bottom lip throbbed as it healed. Then I focused on the heavy weight behind me. The two limbs curved away from my body and looked like the wings of a bat. Blood pumped through the veins and goose bumps appeared in the cool air.

My wings twitched. How the wind feels through your hair is how it felt as a gust passed over and under my wings. The instinct came to me and they twitched again. They spread, out and out, until I saw the great length of them either side of me. They beat once, slowly, then again and again. Tremendous power trilled through me and I leant my strength into the limbs attached to my back. They beat once more and my heels lifted off the ground. Shocked, I stopped and dropped back down to the floor panting from the exertion.

I couldn't smile or cry or whimper. And so I screamed. Something stung my cheek and my scream cut off. Rin drew back his palm, but this time I caught his hand and held it. "Have you never played as another species before? I was a Spriggan on ALO. I didn't think it would be such a shock. Perhaps we should have done this differently." He frowned. "I want my hand back."

I let him go, and instead held my hands out in front of me, fisted, afraid to move. I felt my tail doing some odd twisting thing and found it too hard to keep my balance. Once I'd figured out how to hold it straight, I felt invincible, "Wow.." I beamed. My wings curled behind me to rest snugly against my back, and I rolled my shoulders. Flexing my toes in my boots, I wiggled my fingers as my tail curled round my legs. The tip occasionally brushing the floor.

Rin nodded with subdued approval, "All Succubus have wings. You can't fly, but you can glide. The tail will help with your speed and balance" He clapped his hands together, "We've got time. What shall we do?"

I felt amazing, like nothing could hurt me. Untouchable. I never wanted to return back to my human Avatar. I knew I was fast. I knew my senses kicked ass. How strong was I now? I glanced at the trees. "You asked if I had tested my strength…."

He threw up a hand to shield the smile that was forming on his face despite his efforts to tame it, "You..you are.." He couldn't continue and dropped his arm to expose his rueful look, "Throw me" his hand swept over the forest.

My jaw hit the floor. "I can't throw you." I deliberately narrowed my eyes. "Are you kidding me?"

He puffed up and seemed offended by the very suggestion I'd given that he'd try to trick me, "Yes, you can throw me. I won't be hurt" On seconds thoughts he had just been swaggering.

Squaring my shoulders I strutted over to him. I did ask for it. Placing my hands on his arms I tested my internal body function calculator. His axe would weigh just as much as he did if not more, it took serious muscles in the back, stomach and shoulders to carry that around all day long. Well hey, I felt pretty damn strong. I peeked at Rin's face for courage and to check he wasn't making fun. He grinned down at me with all the confidence in the world.

Bending my knees, I gripped his arms tight and braced myself. Lift, twist and hurl. The action was so quick I barely saw my arms move. Rin shot over the trees like a black comet, and was lost to sight in seconds. Hands covering my mouth, I bounced on the spot in horror. My ears stretched back then I took off. I ghosted through the trees at speed with no fear of harm, frantically burning across the rugged terrain. Through the awning of leaves my eyes spotted him falling.

As I drew closer, he gracefully straightened out, soaring back to the earth pencil straight before curling his body into a summersault. In a move of power and grace his feet touched down on the forest floor with an ear-splitting boom. The ground shook; air rippled out and tossed fallen leaves. Rin was crouched, one fist and knee on the ground, in a dirt hole. The earth looked freshly tilled where it had been forced to make way for him. He sprung up and dusted himself off.

I rushed to apologise. "I didn't realise" Breathy with panic my tail thumped my shoulder repeatedly. "Are you alright?" My hands flittered around him and he rose his to fend me off, exposing his palms to show he was unharmed.

"Well done" he reached up and tapped me on the nose.

I blinked at the playful gesture, then my face broke into a smile, "It was fun..so, will you party with me?" I promptly snapped my mouth shut, I had said that aloud! I had meant the words intended for my ears alone. But now they were out there and thickened the air making me feel sweaty and uncomfortable. I stared at my clammy hands wishing I could perform some sort of time spell or erase his memory of the words.

Silence stretched on as I waited without daring to look at him for my rejection, "I can't believe you just came right on out with it like that.." he mused in a voice that I couldn't place the emotion of, "..You're sure not like I thought you were.." before I could ask him what he meant by that he seemed to recover and continued, "But yeah, I'll team up with you" he sent me a lopsided smile.


	11. Chapter 11

I was not afraid in the blue and purple forest surrounding me despite its shifting shadows and the occasional guttural snarl of a monster stalking within. It was oddly peaceful and I felt attuned to it, as if I was one with the forest and as much a creation of it as they were. As I wandered back, I thought over how to pull my glamour back on. From what my new party member had educated me earlier I knew wearing it where other players of a different species might see was a bad idea.

A sting spread over my skin and I stopped, touching my ears then running my hands over my bum. Huh, Rin was right; easy. I smiled then frowned as I tugged at the gaping hole at my back where my shirt had given way for my wings. The world around me had become darker and it felt like I was draped under a heavy curtain. The sure-footed feeling of natures acceptance had left me leaving behind only tentative fear. My limbs dragged even more now as I walked on, and my hearing and sense of smell became muted. How had I functioned like this for twenty-four years?

Finally given a moment of relative peace as we plodded along, I took a moment to think on everything that had happened to me. The day seemed endless and I hoped there were no more surprises in store. I didn't know how much more I could take. My thoughts turned to the man in front of me, remembering how just earlier he had used his broadaxe to whittle away a Sentinel Trolls HP before allowing me to have the final strike. That way, I got all of the EXP and whenever I found an item he declined accepting the gift sent in thanks from me. As if he had known I was thinking about him he turned around and I hurriedly acted like I hadn't been staring at him, aware my cheeks were a guilty red, "We must be at the next town. Look"

I peered past his out thrust arm and saw a toweringly large, strangely ornate wall. It spanned as far either side as I could see and I wouldn't have been able to see over it even if I sat on Rin's shoulders, and was made from thick grey stone set with odd circular lights that flashed intermittently like those on a modem, "How are we supposed to get over that?" I huffed, "Obviously they want to keep us out"

He stared at the stone as though his gaze could sear through it with intensity alone, "Or something in" he corrected darkly and I shivered before I could control myself. I sent out a mild detection and couldn't sense anything of enough power to indicate a Boss or Player nearby - but that could mean if anybody was hiding here and I couldn't locate them then they had great deception skills.

"Scaring me won't help" I snapped because he had been getting to me a little, I wished I hadn't exposed my worry when he grinned briefly at my discomfort. What an irritating jerk! I was nervous enough and feared for my life already without his spooky commentary!

He eyed the crackling wire that snaked across the lip of the wall and back to the stonework, "You'll have to blast through" he informed dryly.

I fixed him with a flat stare which he returned with no hint of sarcasm "Seriously?" He said nothing but steepled one eyebrow expectantly. I manoeuvred to attach my plasma hand gun from my inventory and he shook his head.

"Too much noise" he explained, "We don't want everyone within a mile radius to come looking. Use magic" I wanted to ask him why the hell he didn't do it himself.

I gritted my teeth and focused. My mouth was dry from nerves as I reached out and drew on the Source. It flooded me, but I was not strong enough to control the energy eager to be free. "M-mirror move.." I struggled out through my clenched jaw. I felt something within me give, a thread snapping. I lost my concentration. The fence pinged and unravelled, but the power whiplashed out to slice through a tree a few feet to my side. There was a loud snap and groan. It toppled forward, and I was too shocked to do anything but stare at it. The special skill had a completely different effect from earlier, but I felt I had seen the scythe of hardened air I had created before..but when?

The tree smashed to the ground. The boughs sizzled and sparked as they came into contact with the electrically charged wires. A warning klaxon started to blare in the distance and there was no time to puzzle on the randomness of my skill. Rin gripped on my arm and began to drag me behind him, supporting all my weight when my feet failed me. When I was well enough to continue on my own, I wriggled out of his grasp and he started to run. I followed and soon, we ghosted through the deserted streets, every corner had me on edge, wary of every shadow and noise.

The streets looked like something from a nightmare. Blood stains, black from age, were smeared on the pavements and pooled where bodies used to lie. Explosion craters and smudged shadowed showed fights with magic had occurred and some Players had died. Doors hung from hinges, windows were smashed, and jagged pieces of glass littered the road. Swarms of bloated rats scurried away as we passed, their black beady eyes reflecting the light as they hissed. It was an ill ones when disease ridden pests roamed freely and unchecked during the day. The sign was gouged with sword slashes and the words "We welcome you to Olmvale seemed lonely and ironic."

Burnt-out horse-carts were rusted and overturned, or abandoned on the roadside, doors still open. Trees sprouted from the buildings and knee-high blades of grass cut into our shins. Piles of rubble and destruction blocking the way were easily jumped and climbed over. My mouth was hung open agape at all the damage and the state of disrepair the entire village had fallen into from its pillage, everything seemed so real I could sense the despair perfuming the air. What or who could have done this? Momoga had warned us and the demo had shown parts of the kingdom that had fallen into ruin but this seemed so extreme - and so sudden, too, as this was the third village we had come across and so still relatively early on in the games progression.

There were no longer bodies, just crumbling brick, pitted stone, and twisted metal. Pushing my golden hair out of my eyes wishing I hadn't created an avatar with locks so long, I sneezed at the dust floating down which our disturbance had dislodged. The sidewalk was cracked and grass was popping up between the broken cement slabs. The lawns were filled with weeds and the remnants of flower beds could barely be discerned among a tangle of old vines and leaves. I wanted to get out of here before the sun set because I was sure there wasn't going to be a hospitable inn around and the idea of camping in an alley taking turns to stand guard whilst the other slept all night wasn't appealing.

From a direction other than the one Rin was faced in there came an answering cough. I froze and so did he, I knew he hadn't been the source of the noise because his shoulders would have heaved which led me with one other scarier conclusion. Automatically I equipped my plasma hand gun and my partner darted protectively in front of me axe already in hand, one of the benefits of carrying his weapon upon his avatar and not in his inventory.

My eyes roved and stilled on a pile of garbage bags as the cough came again, and the heap of smelly trash lifted. My grip tightened on the cannon, was this some kind of urban dwelling monster composed of garbage? I jerked my head in that direction but his gaze was already pinned on the spot, we both waited with bated breath as a reeking nondescript beggar emerged from underneath. He had a stained beard that grew down to his emancipated ribs and a banana peel was perched at a jaunty angle on his bald head.

There was no green diamonds of a player above his head, so we relaxed as the AI wearily approached. Rin resheathed his Axe and I put my plasma hand gun back in my inventory, both of us unsure of what to make of him as he staggered towards us like the sole survivor of some apocalyptic disaster. And perhaps he was.

I was about to ask what happened here to cause such carnage when he grabbed the end of Rin's sleeve and offered the information without our wise ironing as his coding programmed, "Momoga the Dark Lord emerged from the shadows dragging all manner of wicked with him and in one single sweep consumed our good earth!" He wept, easing up his grip and sinking to the floor.

I exchanged a laden look with the dragon before gesturing for the homeless AI to continue, "Monsters prowled the streets in daylight, feasting on our flesh. Goblins tore people limb from limb and roasted them in dumpster-sized stew pots.." I felt a little dizzy with the ugly images his retelling gave me, "They raped our screaming women and produced deformed offspring" My mouth dropped open, "Powerful witches cast spells that stopped the hearts of entire cities and made all things in a thousand-mile radius just stop" he finally finished.

I couldn't speak, fear had paralysed my throat with a dam my tongue budged against feebly but couldn't push aside, "What happened next?" Rin asked what I couldn't in a raw voice.

The AI pounded his fist on the cobblestones sprinkled with the evidence of his misery, "Only the strong, quick, and the smart survived. The barbaric culling left us scattered across Angelcestra in tiny pockets of civilisation. These communities of people put aside old hates based on colour and religion, and blended together until the human race was a convergence unlike anything ever predicted!" His voice rose, "Until recently we lived in an overcrowded region of land surrounded by electricity, a patch of city untouched by the horror Outside"

Rin was disquieted. I could tell this from the way his face and body became motionless. The pulsing dark that surrounded him thickened, and it was like I could almost hear it humming. It extended in curling wreaths and drifted forward to settle over me. It was not a restraining blanket of fear this time, but a gentle assurance coaxing me to relax. Finally he asked, "What happened in this town?"

I couldn't relax, something was niggling at me like an unseen pair of eyes watching me hidden from one of the empty eyes of the windows above. I looked over my shoulder just in time to be rewarded with the flicker of a curtain as somebody withdrew. It was enough I quickly removed my enchantment and after a blinding second with a curious mix of pain and pleasure my wings curled around me, and my tail flicked about behind me disturbing stones and dust.

The AI paled and began to sweat, shuddering so hard the banana peel fell from his head. He caught it and started shredding it into pieces, "They're still here.." he muttered suddenly in the calmest voice he had used so far despite the utterly irrational panic dilating his pupils. Before Rin could collar him he ran as fast as his spindly legs could take him and took a running leap to dive back into the safety of the trash. My partner clicked his tongue in annoyance and withdrew his gigantic axe single handedly with a threatening rasp of black steel.


	12. Chapter 12

Two figures suddenly appeared in the distance in a spot my eyes had just registered as vacant a split moment before. My bat-like wings twitched madly and my tail thrashed so quickly it almost vibrated. I landed lightly on my feet with my wings jack-knifing out to beat hard beside me. Head spinning, a cry of panic was already bubbling in my throat. I drew in a deep breath, and reached to the Source. Not the best of ideas since I was hardly proficient, having only used it a few times before, but I felt I was facing evil and it was no time to be scared of what I could do.

A rough, large hand closed around my waist and pulled me back, shielding me. My lungs collapsed and a squawk of alarm was replaced with knee-watering relief. I released my hold on the energy I'd gathered and felt it flow in a warm stream of power from my fingertips. I looked up to see Rin also in his dragon form with his arm around me - brilliant blue flames licked along his scaled forearms but didn't burn me when they lapped along my skin.

His hair had ignited, blazing with a light that was brilliant yet somehow utterly dark. His ears were elongated and tiny cobalt scales on the points, but his pale blue face was so sharp, pristine in its formation, my eyes found it hard to settle on one feature. His eyes were aflame –with the cold, azure flames that pulsated from him in an aura. His scaled hands and feet were taloned and wickedly spiky. Just looking at how powerful he was instantly made me feel better and sensing that he removed his arm and stood in front of me with his axe held out in both claws.

The two figures approached at a leisurely pace until we could make out the red Player diamonds above their heads. This wasn't good. If those crimson icons were coloured dictating to the same rule system that regulated SAO then these Players had already killed others and were in all likelihood going to attack us next. Had they been the people who had ruined this town? They had to be powerful if it was just the two of them, but at least our numbers were even. They walked with such easy slowness that I had a suspicion even if I tried to run they would catch me with ease, and I couldn't leave Rin behind.

In the time it had taken me to process all of this the two had gained enough distance that I could make them out much clearer. What I saw didn't help me compose myself. The Gorgons wraithlike face blazed lunacy as she walked towards us. Her long hair was a tangle of ivy dreadlocks that seemed alive, like snakes writhing around her face. Wide eyes glassy, her pouty green lips parted, waiting in anticipation of the kill. Mouth curling sadistically, she licked the edge of her curved blade. My stomach heaved and my lungs sucked air in heaving gulps.

The Minotaur stomped on cloven hooves beside her letting out a steam of vapour from his flared nostrils every so often indicate his excitement. His thick beard looked like it hadn't seen clippers in years - if ever. He wore two large daggers strapped onto the rippling slab of furred muscle that was his barrel chest and an unattractive bull-ring threaded through his thick nose, aside from a loincloth and the gleaming scimitar he had little else upon him. I didn't have to see his level to know that it was much higher than mine. The closer they came the vaster and taller I could see he was.

They feinted around us in a loose circle, which closed in inch by inch. I twisted my head around as Rin pressed his back against mine leaving no angle unguarded. Sunlight highlighted the golden motes of dust. They twisted into grotesque and beautiful shapes in the air as they twirled down. And then I was frightened. Knees trembling and suffocating on my own air, I was petrified that Rin would die here, defending me, and I would end up with these psychopaths for the rest of my life. Trapped. Forever. Until they killed me next, "What do we do?" My neck ached from trying to see in every direction at once.

Slowly, the two drew closer with the prospect of winning so alive in their eyes it seemed a lunatic. Rin searched my face for something, then said, "Run." When I didn't move he twisted me around by the shoulder and pushed me in the direction he'd pointed. I kind of stumbled a few steps forward before I stopped and realised I didn't have to do what he said.

I cut my palm sideways though the air, "N-No.." My voice only wobbled a little. I would not leave him here, no matter how afraid I was.

There was deep persuasion in his words as he tried to compel me. "You have to." I snorted at the stupid idea of him giving his life for mine. As if I could live without him after he'd gone and made me all devoted and loyal. We would leave together or not at all. I was ready to die here with him. They would have to kill me, for I would never stop trying to kill them if Rin died. He shook his head in a movement so infinitesimal I could barely see it. "I can't defend against their spells or conjure a portal to take us. I don't have any Teleport Scrolls. Please, Hikari."

I blinked in surprise. He hardly ever used my name, "No," I repeated, firmer this time and pretending he hadn't shook me. We needed to escape, and an idea tickled the back of my mind. I knew magic was the only way to survive this, but if what I was planning didn't work we would die painfully. The alternative, Rin fighting the two of them singlehanded, was not an option. I would not die like this, trapped and afraid, because I was worth much more. I was strong and smart. I was strong and I had magic.

I gathered my strength into my wings and forced the pinions to flap so I surged upwards, as my feet left the floor I frantically beat them to hold myself aloft and remembered what Rin had told me - I could glide but I couldn't fly so that meant I'd have to land again soon. As if she knew this the female players malicious face appeared below me where I had been stood a moment before with the wicked half-sword in her hands, she cleaved it in a wild circle and I barely managed to lift myself out of harms way with huge hefts of my wings. Several meters above her I unleashed hungry tendrils from my body which pulsated with a dark aura, as they bit into her body I felt a heady rise of adrenaline as they sucked her HP and added it to mine.

Scowling she continued prodding her blade to jab and lunge at my legs and with each deft evasive manoeuvre I felt my wings grow heavier and less susceptible to the nudgings I applied to spin out of the way. The invisible leeches continued to draw out her HP until the green bar was yellow and half-full. Luckily before my wings lost all their strength she grew bored of trying to cut me down from just out of her swordarm's reach and turned around to descend on Rin to slyly attack him from behind, he was busy grappling with the Minotaur and it felt his back exposed and unprotected.

The Dragon and the Minotaur darted around each other in smooth, bold movements. The fight was beastly and magnificent. Their speed alternated from painfully slow to supernaturally fast. I couldn't see half the moves they executed, but when I could I felt sick. Back and forth the battle went with no clear advantage being given to either until a lucky strike of the scimitar glanced off his axe and slithered a narrow ribbon from his cheek. Rin's HP bar emptied by a quarter.

My anxious gasp was drowned in his irritated grunt. The Gorgon was still stealthily approaching him to attack from the rear whilst he was distracted, sword held outwards away from her body in one hand. Another blow struck and his HP was halved and the bar turned amber. The need to protect Rin submerged the icy rock of my fears in a sea of courage. Landing I felt for the Source and as I grasped the pulsing energy, a wave of nausea rolled over me, head to toe. Stomach heaving and pitching dangerously, I steadied my legs.

My attention was drawn once again to the fight at the sound of a pained grunt. Both feral and vicious, the boys feinted around the space with lethal intent. Rin and the Minotaur smacked and slashed each other about with their claws and hooves respectively, and loud thumps and hollow crunches accompanied each blow. Perhaps the dragon hadn't been injured badly in the initial attack, or perhaps it was just his will that was allowing him to hold his own despite being hurt. Behind him the Gorgon was now mere inches away.

I spat a curse and planted my feet, swallowing the bile burning the back of my throat and nose. It tasted sour. I drew deeply on the Source until I thought my body would burst from the pressure bubbling my blood. Focusing my energies on what I wanted was hard. Each of the horned enemies punches on my party members body was like a blow to my own. I moulded the mass of chaotic energy I had summoned into a fist of air, panting under the strain. Rin lost concentration; his eyes darted to mine filled with concern. Victory flashed across the Minotaurs hairy face as he struck with fatal precision. The Gorgon was flushed with glee at the prospect of killing him and less attentive than she might have been otherwise.

Releasing air, I reached to fire. "Mirror move!" A ball of pink light appeared before me and grew larger, and larger until I realised it was more than I could control. Rin would be too close to use the damn thing, so what did I do with it? The flames stared to burn vivid cerise then whips of white started to flash across its surface.

"Hold very still, and don't let go.." I looked up to see the Dragon and his two enemies had stopped fighting. The three stood side by side with weapons dangling, and the alarm on their faces terrified me.

My lip trembled and the fireball bloated slightly. "I think..think it's too big.." I whimpered nervously, a bead of sweat ran down my forehead and into my eye at the proximity of the fire. "...At least you've stopped fighting.."

"Sasuke.." The Gorgon mumbled anxiously in a tiny, fearful voice with something other than insane glee on her pasty but petty features. The Minotaur glanced sideways at her and I guessed that was the name of the player, she latched onto his arm with wildly rolling eyes.

"It was either stop or watch you kill us all!" Sasuke spat angrily, beads of spittle catching in his fur and beard which blended so thickly I couldn't tell one type of body-hair from the other.

A ferocious hate blazed across Rin's face as he looked at the other Player, but he schooled his expression and focused on me. His face was carefully blank, but his eyes were hard and his claws were curled tightly. "Stay calm. It's going to be fine. I want you to do exactly what I say, alright?" I nodded manically. The ball of pink fire hovered in front of me, rolling, expanding and collapsing in on itself slightly. What would happen if it exploded in my face? "Now, I want you to think of the fire ball as the wind. A gentle–"

I cocked my head, "Like a tornado?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and the Gorgon paled, she attached a large oak shield inset with heavy studs from her inventory and crouched down behind it, "Mirror move!" The Minotaur stiffened his body as though being tense enough would help him survive the oncoming onslaught.

"No!" He shouted flinging out a claw but it was too late. The fireball lengthened, and spun into a cyclone of flames. A face flashed into my mind and then it was off, sucking Sasuke into its centre. Consumed he writhed and bellowed in anger, the Gorgon reached out her swordless hand towards him and spoke a few unknown words. The fire swirled in a glowing ball leaving him singed, but unharmed. My mouth dropped in shock. She'd harnessed my power. She bounced the bloated sphere of death in her palm then hurled it toward Rin.

"No, stop!" I cried and reached out to call the power back. The fire winked from existence, but the heat of it enveloped me. Falling to my knees, I batted at the small peony coloured fires that erupted on my clothes, and watched in confusion as the fist of air I'd conjured hurtled toward the other Players, who had returned to their fight. How could I control two different elements which my species wasn't linked to? Even as I realised something was wrong with my special skill, my eyes widened at the glow surrounding them, and I understood too late they were using skills of their own - surely something bad and explosive would happen if too many elements mingled together?

The casting broke with such impact the ground shook. Magical and wooden shields alike conjured for protection bent and exploded. All three Users were flung back and carried by an unstoppable force. The churning energy of their spells rent apart and fanned out, like ripples in a still pond. I vibrated as their force encountered my power and hammered it as mine beat back, like two opposing tides. I was thrown from my knees and kicked across the road at breakneck speed - such a force my Succubus form shimmered before vanishing and my Avatar returned to human. Each ripple slammed and beat at my fragile body until all I could do was wait for it to end. A wall was in my way and as I crashed through it, the stone dragged at my skin.

I lay dazed, unable to move, think, or breathe. Black spots danced across my vision and my ears filled with a high note of sound. I scrunched my eyes shut. There was blood in my mouth and dirt rammed to the back of my throat. I couldn't smell anything; my nose felt thick and throbbed. I gasped, my chest expanding to suck in air in heaving gulps. The busted up thing known as my body was numb. A hand pressed on me, checking I was whole, "Rin.." I sobbed. "It hurts so bad.."

Coughing up speckles of dirt, I lay a hand on my chest and brought it away to see dark red, "Lie still" as he continued to gently pat me down my eyes travelled down to a puddle of my blood dripping in steady plunks to the floor. That was my blood, my life energy seeping out away from me...I convulsed, but before I fell unconscious he applied a Potion and I instantly felt better, the pain an echo.

I rose my head weakly, even that small movement making my newly healed head spin, "The others..?" I croaked feebly, the static at the corners of my vision slowly curled away so I could see his face clearly - I dimly thrilled at how pleasant it was his face was the first thing I saw. An arrangement of cleverly blended pixels it may have been, but a handsome one it was.

He looked away at something I couldn't see from my current vantage and his body visibly tightened, "They won't be bothering us anymore" he surmised in a cold, clipped voice that rang through me. Shock swaddled my mind in cotton as I rested my head back down in the dirt. They were dead, and really dead too. I had been the one to kill them. Did saving our lives justify ending theirs? Rin continued having no idea of the guilt that shook me, "Luckily their shields were only conjured to protect. If they had explosive triggers attached you would be dead.." He passed a weary hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry.." I sniffed in a broken whisper and I wasn't sure if I was apologising for putting myself and him in harms way or for killing Sasuke and his party member.

He continued berating me even as my eyelids flickered and threatened to close from exhaustion, "Using magic on a whim is beyond irresponsible. It puts you in danger. You shouldn't go beyond your capabilities..." Tossing my head back in defiance was a bad idea, the forest rolled and my eyes shut completely as I welcomed the blackness beyond them.


	13. Chapter 13

Nothing. No stars. No sound. I tried to open my eyes to see against the black, but as I truly noticed the emptiness for the first time, I felt the echo of my heart stop; my eyes were already open, "Rin?" I called, but my own voice fell flat in front of me, ringing like a bell as if I'd spoken into cupped hands. I waited; waited past that moment you expect everything to be okay, past the breath you held when you thought you heard something, and finally realised what might have happened. Had I died? The silent question hung heavily in the air and went unanswered.

Perfect silence. Complete weightlessness; it almost made me breathless, like I needed sound or a horizon to remind me how to breathe. I couldn't breathe—couldn't suffocate because there was only emptiness where my lungs should be. All I could actually feel were tingles, shivering across every part of my body that had turned into air. I wanted to break free, but there was nothing to break free from.

I was gone. Rin was gone. The VRMMORPG was gone. The world was gone. Everything was gone...

Floating through space and time, I waited for morning to come and light the corners of this dark room, but the sun never rose. I wasn't sure how many days or years had passed, but this couldn't be sleep—it couldn't just be a dream. In fact, I was pretty sure this was Hell. No fire, no pain, just…eternal blackness slowly, second by quiet second, driving you mad. I didn't bother to cry as the darkness swallowed me, and hope had been lost so long that I'd never truly allowed it back in. I simply existed. In the dark. Alone. My body alive out there somewhere, an empty vessel in a living world, while my soul was slowly dying beneath it.

It reminded me of the time I went swimming as a little girl; I'd closed my eyes and floated in the water for a while. With my ears under the lashing of waves, aware only of my own thoughts, I had thought it was peaceful then, but here, in this unimaginable expanse of nothing, floating, unable to find the shore, it was just agonisingly confining.

The only thing I ever found down here was the memories—hidden behind shadows in the darkness. And when the darkness got too much, those memories became nightmares—unhappy endings I'd keep examining in my mind—over and over again, never able to find the conclusion, because there'd never be a conclusion. Not for me, anyway. In death, we have no resolution.

Tears of frustration and anger wanted release, but with no face and no eyes to cry from, they were trapped, lodged like a rolled-up sock in my chest—quivering and growing into a feeling I had known before only earlier when I wanted to protect Rin. I wanted to rattle the bars of my cage, to scream at those responsible. But the rage always wore down to misery, and when misery was unreleased, trapped in nothingness, it turned to fear, then to rage again. It was an endless cycle. And even that made me mad, because there was just nothing…nothing I could do to make it stop.

"Let me out of here!" my mind called into the darkness. I imagined myself circling around, gripping my hair with both hands, falling to the floor with my head in my knees. It did no good to picture it, though. I still felt just the same.

"Hikari?!" A voice echoed through my endless night, resonating from somewhere behind me.

My eyes shot open and space, cool and airy, greeted me. I blinked a few times, noticing only as I looked down at my feet, that my feet weren't actually there. I held my arm out and ran my fingers over it, feeling the soft skin, but couldn't see it. There was nothing there to identify me; no nails, no skin colour, no age spots or bracelets. Not even a surface to discern what kind of room this was. But the name Hikari rang like a bell in my mind.

Rin's worried voice speaking my name came from closer than before and, though it was still dark, I felt space around me—felt him near me. The echoing mist of eternity flowed out through the cracks in my subconscious, leaving me solid, heavy. Really heavy. I didn't remember being this heavy. I didn't remember having laid down, on my back, but when I tried to get up, my chest stayed stuck, glued to my spine against this flat surface.

Something moved under me as he spoke—my body, I could feel my body, feel the bulky, uneven surface I was laying on. It was cold. Feeling returned in increments. First I could wiggle my fingers, toes, then my legs. I moaned at the thumping at my temple and tried to bring my hands down to my face. My eyes groggily slid half-open then closed again when I realised I could not move them to obey. I sat up quickly and immediately regretted it, clutching my head as it throbbed in protest. "I wouldn't move that fast if I were you." A deep, sexy voice spoke to my right and I turned my head to see who owned it.

"Ow!" My head protested again and I grasped it in my hands, propping my elbows on my knees. It seemed too much of an effort to hold my head up unsupported. A quick inventory revealed that my head appeared to be the only area of damage and my body slumped in relief. "Rin?" I tried again.

I could just picture the way he would fold his arms and gall me with an irritated or smug look, "Yup. Open your eyes. And if you call me that I'm never going to save your ass again" They're closed? Gravity pulled my skin, dragging it down. I fought against the push and lifted my eyelids, blinking rapidly.

Bright. Light. Tears rushed to my irises to protect them from this new experience, burning my vision into a white blur. I couldn't focus on anything, but I loved it more than the breath I could suddenly feel through my lips. The first scene I saw when my eyes finally adjusted was his frown softening to make way for the relieved smile which mirrored the one on mine. In that same detached way I felt comforted his face was again the first one I saw after waking up.

Before I could even open my mouth, everything got a bit dark and my vision blurred. Feeling the blood drain from my face, I closed my eyes until my equilibrium settled. The recent events, which had resulted in my present pain had came rushing back to me, sending a jolt of fear through my system. Then, with a wash of cold trepidation, the memory of the players attacking with intent to kill us both hit me. I rubbed my head, letting the tears spill out over my lashes, "I thought I was dead.." I could hear the terror in my cry, but it was real—my voice—it came from somewhere different than it had before.

"But you're not" he consoled simply. I stared at him thinking of all the adrenaline pumping excitement and hair raising danger we had been over the last few hours, more intense than any fear or thrills I had ever experienced IRL. I had heard of muggings at knife-point in some of the darker dwells of Osaka but I never stayed out late enough to risk becoming a victim. Knowing that getting substantial damage could really kill me, explode my brain in my real body in the reality that was not this one, made all the cocky bravado and knowledge I had from playing games seem pitiful. I wasn't prepared for true combat, where I couldn't just save before a battle so if I lost or rage-quit I could try again.

An involuntary shudder edged up my spine. We both breathed heavily in the silence for a second.

He drew a long breath, masking the shaking in his chest. My whole body stilled, my eyes closing tightly around hot liquid. My voice quivered as the reality of being alive set in, "Rin...Do you think there will be more fights like that?"

"I don't know, but probably" He paused and made a small waving gesture with his hand, as if brushing off an errant thought, "Games like this can bring out the worst in people" He sighed and looked away, eyes becoming unfocused. His brows mashed together. I didn't like how it scrunched his eyes and wanted to smooth out the furrows.

I found comparing the idea of those sort of Players to the mundane but similar events IRL helped me come to terms with it a little, "Like bullies who troll chat rooms.." I offered.

"Right. Only much worse" Teeth clamped together, his words sounded short and punchy. His dark eyes constantly surveyed shadowy alleys of the streets and looked for movement at the imposing, empty windows. He crossed his arms across chest, the muscles in his arms rippled.

I nodded glumly, "Much worse" I parroted, taking in the hard angles of his face and the dark blue eyes that held the warmth of a glacier. The proud set of his mouth and the shape of his jaw were so familiar I could reach out, close my eyes, and map the dimensions, "So, should we make our way to the next town? Or stay here until tomorrow morning?"

He took note of the rapidly darkening sky and nodded to the latter, before taking the lead with me following "We can find an empty house on the other side of the village and hole up there for the night" I nodded, keeping my eyes on the ground so I wouldn't trip on anything, "Then decide what to do tomorrow"

I rose my eyes from the floor to watch him, admiring his rear view and the way he walked. It wasn't cocky like so many of men his age coming into their prime, just self-assured, as if he knew exactly who he was and understood the purpose of his life. I liked that; knowing what you wanted and where you were going were important to me, "Do you think those two players were renegades? Or part of a group?"

He answered without looking back, "I doubt they were working with others, Players who have that mentality find it hard to form lasting relationships IRL and online" he seemed not to notice his voice had taken on a dark tone that made my stomach curl.

I stumbled and so it wouldn't happen again went back to look at the floor, "But SAO had Laughing Coffin - an entire Guild of murderers" I glanced up at the creepy ruined buildings, wondering when we would find one safe and stable enough to sleep in, "It's only a matter of time before Players form Guilds to protect themselves in numbers in Worlds of Angelcestra too"

He turned around, stopping for the first time, "Did you play SAO?" I nodded and he quickly covered the mild shock that had crossed his face, "So you'll know there was a Guild named Knights of the Blood Oath who battled on the front lines to beat the game and save many weaker players who wouldn't have survived otherwise"

I nodded again, wondering where he was going with this, but he resumed walking and was silent. I wondered if he had also played Sword Art Online and that's why he seemed so well equipped to deal with this virtual world. I watched the way he seemed constantly alert, his muscled body taunt as a wire as his head turned this way and that, dark eyes searching out any potential for danger. It seemed silly, given what had just happened and that other PK's could be hiding nearby using deception skills to cloak their presence, but around him I didn't panic nearly as much. But I was still scared, night was rapidly falling, "If Player Killers do join a Guild together..I hope some good ones form one too"

He studied an abandoned house that seemed less ransacked than the rest and reached out a gloved hand to test the sturdiness of the sagging doorway, it held "This'll do..come on" he muttered before bending his head to bow inside.

I followed him in and the strong moonlight cast an oddly coloured glow that tinted the crumbling walls and remains of furniture inside. It lit on the black scorch marks that fanned outwards on one badly scorched tapestry giving evidence to the AI or Player that had died there. I went to shift the door lying unhinged against the wall behind me and he rose a hand, "Don't. Leave everything as untouched as you can. We don't want somebody coming back and noticing something has been moved" I shivered, and Rin suddenly continued, "Would you join a Guild? If somebody asked"

I blinked and stared at him from his stance with his back to me in the middle of the room. I thought the conversation had been over but from the way he quietly muttered the words I could tell the question had been on his mind for some time. I traced the contours of his strong shoulders and arms, the huge axe strapped onto his back, his lean hips and even the way his black hair stuck up messily at the back. He was powerful and I didn't want to leave the safety of his protection. The moment I realised I was admiring him my mouth hung open and I rose my hand to slap some sense into myself before catching myself just in time and dropping it: How many times did I have to remind myself that even though I made my Avatar mostly look like my IRL body he might be a fat old man?! How could I be attracted to someone I knew nothing about?!

I realised it had been some time since he and asked and I was standing there in sheepish silence as I chided myself. I was glad he was turned around so he hadn't witnessed me appraising him or the blush that was on my heated cheeks now. I swayed my hips thoughtfully so my long curtain of golden hair fanned out on either side of me, humming as I came up with my answer, "I was a Guildmaster on WoW. But, no.." I scrunched my fingers shyly into my sarong, "I think we're-I mean, that I'm..doing fine as I am" I corrected myself hurriedly, biting down on my tongue. I had almost said: I think that we're doing fine as we are.

He rolled his shoulders and headed for the stairs, warped with the cast-off residue of the old spells used to kill whoever had lived here they twisted at an awkward angle and the banister had come away completely, "You know being a solo player has severe limitations" he fluidly made his way up them as I picked a delicate and painfully slow method behind.

I looked up for a second to watch his retreating shoulders, nimble as a mountain goat, and smiled, "But I'm with you" I hurriedly looked back down as I almost stuck my boot through a deep hole, "Would you join a guild if somebody asked?" I asked because he had asked me first, so I didn't have to worry about etiquette. I hoped that he would say no.

"If it would make me more powerful, yes" He replied casually and my shoulders fell, a surprising sadness filled me as I trudged behind him, but what had I expected? He called me a newb often and was always putting himself in danger getting me out of its way, "If anybody ever asks you, you should accept. You're not strong enough to survive on your own" We had reached the top and he turned to find me staring angrily at him, "I'm being serious. I've watched you in fights, without me there you freeze up and leave yourself defenceless"

I glared away from him down the hallway because those eyes of his looking at me made me feel like he could hear my every thought so there was no sense lying to him. My irritation and rejection simmered but I knew from his soft voice he hadn't meant it as an insult, just well meant advice. And with my LVL as low as it currently was even though we were at the third town and almost out of the forest according to the DEMO video, he was right.

"Hmm..maybe" I clamped my lips shut on all the things I felt but didn't want to shame myself by saying in case he felt uncomfortable with the depth of the emotions I held. I'd join a Guild with him as long as it meant we could still explore around and party together like this. But I'd be just as happy continuing our two-player party as being in the same Guild with him.

Rin cocked his head to one side outside a closed door and then opened it once he heard no noise and sensed nothing inside. The bedroom inside was largely untouched aside from signs of a disturbance like whoever had been inside had been rudely awakened and dragged downstairs, the bed sheets were tossed to one side and the broken window indicated a point of entry or exit. We walked in and I went over to the window first to check nobody was following us inside, the sharp shards of glass were on the outside windowsill meaning it had been smashed from the inside. He shut the door and shifted a piece of furniture that had been pushed over, scraping it in front to seal it.

I looked up to the sky to see it had the same kinds of stars one would find IRL aside from I recognised none of the constellation patterns, but I still found it soothing because it was the first thing in this place that reminded me of home. Just as I was smiling about that I noticed the reason the moonlight was so strong was because there were two orbs hanging in the sky slightly overlapping each other, one was a bright silver and the other a mellow yellow which was why the colour they cast was so unusual. With a sigh as image of something welcomingly familiar was ruined I turned around as I heard Rin make some heavy noises. He had sat on the floor and put his axe beside him, but he didn't take his armour or cloak off, "You can use the bed. I'll keep watch"

My eyes rounded, "W-What!" I shrieked, "Y-you can't watch me sleep you perver-!" he silenced me with a glare and I hurriedly clasped my hands over my mouth. My anger rang in the air as we waited tense with anticipation for if anything burst in alerted by the sound of my screams. After a heart pounding few seconds of silence in which my hearing strained on high alert nothing happened and we let out a sigh of relief.

"Baka..I'd keep watch in the other room or downstairs but what I'd somebody or something came in through the window?" He muttered, pinning me with the force of his displeasure for a second before looking away.

"A-alright.." I mumbled sheepishly feeling too chastised to argue against it. And it was safer after all. With no armour to heave off I untied my sarong and dropped it to the floor, then unclasped the belt and choker and placed them on top of it, so I was left in my brown knee length trousers and white shirt. I rubbed my arms feeling suddenly defenceless and was glad again that he was here after all. I walked over to the bed and suspiciously eyed it as if the sheets would still be warm. I couldn't do it, I couldn't use a bed the previous owner of which was now dead. It seemed disrespectful. I stretched out beside him on the floor instead and rolled so my back was to him, "Wake me up with its my shift"

He probably thought I was an idiot or at the very least strange for choosing the hard planks and threadbare rug over the bed - although it wasn't in much of a better condition. I didn't expect him to speak so I gave a little start when he said nonchalantly, "..The AI will be respawned tomorrow and this town won't sound so creepy"

He was trying to make me feel better, but his attempt had made an unpleasant and unavoidable fact pop up in my head, "But the players won't" I pillowed my face on my arms, biting down on my lip as light tremors shook my body. It was intense but only for a few seconds, as the fear I felt at being so close to dying came and passed. I'd never thought about it before, but coming so near to death had made me realise I hadn't accomplished much in my life and given the choice otherwise I'd want to live at all costs. Would that be enough to beat this game?

If Rin had ignored me when I tracked him down at the quarry outside Goemon village, we never would have met the way we did, and maybe we never would have joined a party together. I saw then our connection was largely attributed to the improbable success of our meeting and was intrinsically linked to the awakening of the Succubus within me. So much had happened in the space of a day which seemed to have had so much action and adventure packed into it that it lasted weeks, not hours.

I began to drift off which was surprising since I was on the floor and not in the usual privacy of my flat. I gave a startled jolt when I realised I felt much more comfortable in this virtual world with Rin, despite the danger, than I ever had in the real world with Ru-Shan and Sayura. I snuggled my head back onto my elbow and resolved to sleep again.

My parter for his part was having his own private difficulties that I wasn't privy too. Sat cross-legged with his back to me he shuddered, fighting against his inner dragons urgings to possess, to mark...Dark intentions that I knew nothing about. As long as he had been in this world, he felt them, the possession to do unspeakable acts of violence IRL he would physically vomit at. He shuddered again and I rose my chin a little, "You cold?" I whispered.

"No-" he bit out. I wiggled closer thinking he didn't want to admit it. He quickly looked over his shoulder to check I was still faced away from him and seeing that I was, stole a longer look. The tinted light of the double-moon picked up glints of brighter gold in my hair and my body cast a slight shadow on the floor. The way the light gleamed a silver-butter line over my skin urged him onward while his Berserker blood was pushing impatiently at the restraints he imposed.

He snapped his head back. I heard the movement but thought he was just trying to get comfortable on the hard wooden floor and said nothing. The dragon wanted out. His jaw ached as his canines partially extended. Rin shook his head and tried to force them back. No. He was here to keep me safe.

His body shook with the need and he jerked his head back, clenching his jaw. What the hell was going on? A moment of clarity had him questioning his own thoughts. This had never happened to him! His hands fisted and he shook his head trying to clear his mind. As I slept soundly, he kept a tense watch out for any danger nearby and an even closer eye on the one he might become himself.


	14. Chapter 14

The chatter of happy talking drifting up through the broken window and uncomfortable floorboards had me sitting bolt upright with my eyes still closed and squinting against the sun. The fact it was morning hit me and I opened my eyes to see Rin sitting perched on the windowsill silhouetted against the light and noise. Seeing him cleansed some of the crushing disappointment that yesterday hadn't all just been some crazy dream. More than anything before going to sleep I'd hoped I'd wake up in my own bed. When he saw I was awake he nodded but didn't smile as if his mind were occupied by other thoughts.

"W-why didn't you wake me for watch duty?!" I snapped before combing down my sleep-mussed hair and fussing over my appearance, this was the first time in a long while I'd been faced with company in the morning. Especially a person who hadn't been one of my cousins at a sleepover, or a school girlfriend. Worrying over how tousled I looked at least distracted me from how upset I was that I was still trapped inside Worlds of Angelcestra.

He smiled, "Well you slept so deeply I couldn't wake you up" I glared at him as I tied my sarong and clipped my belt back around my waist, then fastened the choker around my neck. Their additional strength coursed through me as I cocked my head,

"Is somebody downstairs?" I asked, directing my hearing at the excited bustle and light talk. Now that I was focusing on signs of habitation I noticed the smell of cooked meats, my stomach rumbled and I began to follow my nose towards the door. Strange how feeling hungry in this world felt so real, the humanising familiarity of it humbled and comforted me, but also made me feel sad at the same time. I wondered if my real body was starting to waste away now, wether anyone had found it yet. I wondered if my partner had the same thoughts as me.

Rin stood up and stretched before passing a hand through his hair - I tried not to stare, "The AI's who live in this house" he followed behind me.

I popped my head around the doorway cautiously and upon seeing nobody stealthily crept down the corridor. The rug had been cleaned and the mantelpiece set straight even though the figurines of some carved stone I didn't recognise were ruined, even a portrait of flowers had been pinned up to hide a large hole in the wall, "You met them? What did they think of us using their home?"

He rolled his eyes as we made our way downstairs that despite being ruined last night had somehow been miraculously restored now as if the furniture revived like the AI's did. The noise of a knife being used reached my ears, "Their AI's. How could they mind? They aren't programmed too." He let out a short sigh, "You'll see anyway"

We descended and immediately a pointy faced girl dressed in a brown tunic ran across the room to throw herself around my middle, I raised my arms up to steady myself against the tackle and looked down into a pair of cheerful ochre eyes, "Thank you so much for saving us!" She smiled and the two slender antenna growing from her head twitched.

I flushed, "Eheh..it's no problem" I tried to pry her off and when I failed looked around the room. It had been cleaned and now everything was out back in its was out back in its original place quite homely in its own sparse way. The threadbare furniture had been covered by colourful home-woven rugs to make it more appealing.

My eyes rested on a thin woman dressed in pink who also had feathery antenna, she was cutting vegetables next to a stone sink overlooking a window outside on the other side of the room. As she saw us she scraped the pieces into a bubbling pot on the stove - the source of the appetising smell, and set the knife aside, "Now come away from her, Rachael. These two aren't long awake and don't need your fussing"

"But mama~" the girl winced and was subdued with a warning look from her mother. Her daughter shied away from me and instead began peppering Rin with questions, her antenna twitching excitedly.

The woman began to stir the broth and a waft of succulent steam rose again. I was caught between apologising for sleeping in her home and leaving when my stomach gave another loud rumble and she laughed, "Please, won't you take a seat. This won't be long and it sounds like you'd like some"

I nervously looked back over to see how my party member was doing, I was surprised to see he was indulging the child by answering her questions. He seemed at ease so I slid into one of the wooden chairs that circled the circular table, pitted from scars and what was made to appear like years of use. I noted that there were three of them but only two people appeared to live here, "It must have been a shock to revive and see us in your bedroom. I'm sorry, we needed a place to stay for the night" I apologised, and Rin gave a snort. I glared at him and drew a very deliberate line from his eyes to the little girl. He couldn't get all high and mighty about me being stupid and saying sorry to an AI when he was acting so kind to Rachael.

The woman took out three wooden bowls and after setting a spoon in each began to ladle the stew into them, it dripped noisily inside "I do not feel shock or pain, but last night was still unpleasant. Thank you for killing the Players who pestered us, many would just walk onto the next town and hope for a better welcome" She brought three over to the table with one bowl in each hand and the other expertly balanced on her wrist, "They also killed any Players that came into Olmvale and stole all of our produce and Items, so our trade is ruined"

The little girl's hands gripped her tunic as she spoke, her voice quivering. A bunch of pixels or not she still looked scared, "They came yesterday and went through everybody's houses..we could hear them coming but do nothing. We're coded to not leave this house or defend ourselves. We had to wait for them and couldn't fight back.." her mother silenced her with another silent threat.

I was quiet for a long time, even when she slid the bowl down in front of me and Rin followed Rachael over to the table. The woman went back over to the sink and poured herself the last dreads before beginning to clean the pot. The stew looked meaty enough and the vegetables healthy and succulent but despite the mouth-watering smell I was too disturbed by the PK's actions to take a bite. I looked at the modest furniture and inexpensive dress the mother wore and took a dry gulp, almost pushing the bowl away. These people had almost no Peri and the PK's brutal methods had been responsible.

My partner gave me the same intent laced look I had given him earlier and gestured with his eyes from my mouth to the bowl in front of me, frowning. It would be rude to decline the meal so I listlessly scooped a small spoonful into my mouth, I found it tasted so good and satisfied the feeling of hunger that I began eating more before it's Durability dropped and it vanished.

The mother finished washing the pan and set it to dry on the side, she stood and took up her bowl to stir it but didn't take a sip, "My name is Morwena. My husband Dren is a hunter, he has been away for a few days to get meat for us" I noticed Rin had finished his bowl so hurried to clean mine too in a few hasty seconds. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and I watched the masculine but graceful gesture a little too attentively, Morwena smiled fondly, "This is your husband, yes? Like mine, he looks like a good provider"

My cheeks went red so fast I stood up and slammed my hands down on the table, "What?! No!" Everybody stared at me and their sobriety cooled my indignation until all that was left of my over-reaction was embarrassment, unable to near the weight of their eyes I squeaked out, "Thanks for breakfast, bye" before scurrying out, not wanting my party buddy to see my blushing face.

I closed the door and leant against the side of the cabin, letting out a long exhale. That had been so humiliating! The air brushed against my heated cheeks and gradually began to soothe them as it lifted the tips of my hair from my face, shoulders and knees. I watched AI's walk by all of whom had antenna and a few stopped to thank me and give me Items I couldn't decline for being discourteous, in a few minutes I had some Potions, a spell book to learn Shadow Walk and a Level 8 eight water rune. I asked about the Eternal Glades but nobody knew anything. I knew this offering had come from everyone in Olmvale and was humbled they would scrape their remaining treasures together and give them to me. I was interested in the book but would give the water rune again to Rin like last time because as a fire type he had the greater weakness.

Leaning against the side of the house, I tried to resign myself to the idea that I would probably be here longer than I thought as I waited for my partner to come out. I consoled myself with the fact that it didn't really matter—well except for the constant threat of death. No one was waiting for me in Osaka. I had no lasting friendships and paid my rent for the next month. Maybe I should look on my time here as a vacation. Closing my eyes, I made myself focus on the sensation of the warm sun beating down on me. After a last night it felt good to absorb the rays. With my eyes closed, my other senses heightened; the solid stone of the cabin behind me, the slight breeze that caused my hair to brush against my cheek. In the distance, birds were twittering and an AI's chattered.

I could feel the coiled tension unwinding from my shoulders and my jaw. Why had I allowed myself to get so embarrassed over Rin just now, and why had I been so upset last night when he said he would join a Guild if somebody asked him? It shouldn't matter to me if he made that decision. As long I got out of this VRMMORPG, that was all that counted.

Pushing off from the wall, I glanced down and noticed a few bits of green poking out of the ground. I frowned, not being a gardening expert, and wondered what might be growing back after last nights carnage. Rin would know what they were, I knew. I bent down to take a closer look and then nearly fell back in surprise. Large prints were evident in the dust right under the bedroom window I had slept in. Two sets of boot prints—just two. One set was facing towards the house, and the other was facing away. I stood and studied the surrounding ground carefully. There were none leading to the house, nor away. How could that be? The ash was soft and even my slight weight was leaving indentations in the muck.

Stepping back, I studied the roof line, the location of the porch, and the walls of the cabin. Could someone have come down off the roof? Possibly, but how did they get up there? It was quite high and I saw no sign of a ladder. Technically, I supposed a very determined person could even have stood on the porch and then scrambled to the window without touching the ground. The cracks and crevices between the logs would provide toe and finger holds, but why would anyone go to all that trouble? It made no sense. And why were they outside the bedroom window?

A frisson of fear jolted through me as several unpalatable possibilities popped into my head. Regardless of how they got there, someone had been peering in the bedroom window. Had they watched me sleeping? How had Rin not sensed them? Looking at the shoe-prints with something akin to horror, I backed away until I ran into him emerging from the door, "Woah. Something happen?" He asked as he put out his arms to ward me away from touching him and steady me at the same time.

I collected my breath and organised my thoughts after my headlong flight "Somebodywasstoodout-" I gushed all in one long jumbled blur.

He shut the door behind him, "Slow down; you're not making any sense. Calm down and we'll talk about whatever has you acting so irritating"

His insult had its deserved effect of making fear turn to annoyance and I glared at him before gratefully collapsing against the wall again. I pushed my tangled locks back from my face. Panic definitely had a detrimental effect on my hair, which was why I avoided the emotion whenever possible, I thought inanely. A bubble of hysterical laughter threatened to escape and I squelched it back down. Why was I worrying about my hair at a time like this, yet alone laughing about it? Rin was already looking at me like I was half crazy. No need to add to his suspicions by giggling away like some school girl.

Composing myself, I took a deep breath and explained what I had discovered in a relatively calm and collected manner. After hearing the details, he frowned and decided to take a look himself. "See? There's one set facing each direction, like someone entered and then exited, but there are no other prints showing how the person came or left." I pointed.

He rubbed his chin. "Well, that is a bit puzzling. Let me think about it" Just as I had, he stared at the ground, the roof, the walls, and the porch. He got down and pressed his hand to the ground, observing the imprint it made in the soft mud. "Huh... Only explanation I can think of is that someone walked up here at some point - not necessarily last night, and the wind blew the dust over the tracks but missed these ones" he shrugged, "I would have sensed them if it was last night"

Breathing a sigh of relief that some pervert hadn't been watching me sleep, I nodded slowly. It sort of made sense. "Oh... Okay." I felt a bit deflated as well as relieved at the logical explanation Rin had come up with. As usual, my imagination was getting the best of me. I wasn't exactly sure what I thought was going on, but it hadn't been anything as mundane as what he had come up with. "Well, I'm sorry to have irritated you"

I waited for some scathing reply but he was intently studying the tracks again, I opened my mouth and he impatiently gestured me away with his hand, "Better to check if you've got everything before we leave" he suddenly commanded brusquely, his eyes still on the footprints.

I frowned, I'd gotten dressed and checked my inventory minutes earlier looking at the new Items the grateful AI's had given to me. "I know I have-"

"Best to make sure" his clipped tone booked no argument. Turning away I wondered why he was ordering me around. After a moment of pretending to be distracted I glanced from my peripherals as he continued to crouch there. He cast some sort of Trace spell and frowned after a moment, "Got everything?" He asked and I squeaked before spinning back.

My cheeks flushed knowing he'd caught me spying, "Yes.." I mumbled.

He stood back up and gave each AI a measured glance before including me in that appraisal too. Whatever he saw, his mouth curled a little in displeasure and I floundered wondering what the cause of it was. Then I firmly reminded myself not to let this man get to me, he was probably a wheezing obese idiot IRL! "You have no armour" he acknowledged simply and took off his cloak, "You'll have to wear this until we get to the weapon store" He continued, reaching around me to clasp it. I jumped back as his arm brushed against my breast and electrical waves went through me. Rin didn't seem to notice and talked as if there'd been no contact between us, "We'll need to get more items, from the Demo the next map area coming up is desert"

It smelled like him and held his warmth. I had never noticed how he smelled like citrus before. How could an Avatar do that? It made me conscious of how dirty I was and how bad I might smell, given I'd only washed in a river yesterday. I nodded grimly. I could remember the vast planes of baked earth, the unforgiving scorch of the sun no armour or sword could protect against, the lack of respite after hours of dragging your feet. "Yes"


	15. Chapter 15

Tall pines rose up on either side of the pathway, acting like sentinels that warded away intruders with their stiff branches. Unlike much of the surrounding area, this forest was untouched and unharvested. Decaying logs, the remains of ancient trees, were scattered on the ground in amongst young saplings and strong maturing conifers. I ducked, pushed aside branches, and hopped over tree trunks until I was feeling slightly dizzy. It didn't help my confidence with the task of the desert looming ahead, one I felt all too unprepared for.

Ferns, wild flowers and other forms of natural vegetation carpeted the forest floor. Signs of monster life increased as the temperatures warmed. Tracks from a myriad of creatures tattooed the muddy ground while birds chirped and twittered overhead in the trees. Rin inhaled deeply, taking in the earthy, woodsy scents. I plodded behind him cursing nature and the situation I found myself in.

I bent over an interesting looking mushroom and squawking promptly leapt back and rubbed my face as it erupted purple spores over me. They vanished as they hit my skin but I instantly felt the effect as in the left corner of my vision my HP bar chipped away infinitesimally, with a grumble my partner trudged over and applied an Antidote potion he had bought several of at the store before we left Olmvale, "Thanks Rin" I called as he strode back off, flipping out the tips of his cloak I wore to check no violet stains lingered - there weren't any.

"Don't call me Rin, Kari!" He spat back and took off his axe to target an impressive swing at three wooden barrels barely noticeable under the thick forest growth. They vanished into sparks and the two small piles of Peri that had been inside two of them became visible, the third was empty. He pocketed the loot and looked back at me, repeating, "Kari" He seemed to be trying the name out as he stared at me. Finally, he shook his head. "Nope. You just don't look like a Kari. To me, you're a Hikari"

"You and my mother." I sighed, a little nostalgic at the thought of her. Although the relationship between Morwena and her daughter had been very different to the one I had with mine, a lot closer yet stricter, I had still found myself thinking and missing my own. I fingered my gold choker and tried to picture Rin in a long term relationship, with an obedient wife at his side and little kiddies like Rachael playing at his feet. The image quavered in and out of focus in my mind. I frowned. Somehow I was putting myself in the wife position. No. That wouldn't do. Erasing the very idea, I swatted a branch aside and forcibly pushing him out of my head. I began humming a tune, but grunted in disgust when I realised it was a mushy love song and I was getting all hot and bothered by it.

"Your mother?" He repeated as he lifted his arm to move a branch out of his way. It was considered rude for Players to discuss IRL matters but I didn't want to forget about her and remembering or talking about her was the best way to ensure that didn't happen.

"Yeah. My mother's sort of a free hippie type. She was going through a spiritual phase when I was born and decided to call me Hikari" I concentrated on not tripping over tree roots or my own feet and trying to push away the loneliness that came with speaking about her.

"I like it" I blinked, surprised by the sincerity of his comment.

"Well...that's good, I guess" I giggled as a thought struck me. "I suppose I should be thankful that Mom wasn't in her vegetable stage at the time or I might have been called nori or daikon." I looked down and shrieked as something wrapped around my ankle and hoisted me aloft, "Eek!"

I got a glimpse of a thick green vine before his cloak fell down to flap inelegantly in my face and I couldn't free my hands from the wafting material to get my plasma hand cannon from my inventory. I knew I looked ridiculous hanging there and gave a muffled but angry shout, "Get me down from here, now!"

Rin's rich chuckle ran over me like a warm breeze and he suddenly seemed less imposing. It was enough to melt the coldest of hearts; I felt mine give an extra thump and suddenly my mouth seemed dry. He had a perfect view of Kari or 'Hikari' as I called preferred. He snorted. Kari was a ridiculous name for a woman and I was definitely a female. The recently ransacked store didn't have any female armour for sale, and the way my brown trousers clung to my behind, the way my white shirt stretched over my breasts, left him in no doubt of the fact. He'd allowed me to borrow his cloak so he wouldn't be distracted by the curves.

The tendrils of the plant slithered up my inner thighs and I let out a strident squeal as it brought me down closer to its waiting mouth. He'd planned on being as rude and sarcastic as possible yesterday, goading me into getting mad and stomping away or at least rethinking wanting to party with him. But then we'd started talking and he'd stopped laughing cruelly whenever I tripped over a tree root or waiting for me to stop shivering whenever a monster attacked, and started looking out for me instead. He split the large fly-trap like Earth monster in two with his axe and banished the remnants with a casual bolt of blue fire.

As I roll-landed and sprang up with red cheeks to dust myself off he found a smile was on his face. I was pleasant company and seemed genuine in all that I said. There was no hint of deception about me and I didn't seem to know any of his secrets. He'd find out a bit more about me, interview me without me being aware. There was nothing apparently threatening in what little he'd discovered so far, but he tucked the information in the back of his mind for future examination.

I smiled back and appeared to be studying him. Rin remained calm under my scrutiny, watching me, noting the expressions flitting across my face. He could see that he puzzled me. I didn't know what to make of him. Staring at my pupils, he tuned into my breathing, and suppressing a smile, he acknowledged the fact that I was attracted to him. Was I aware of the fact? Possibly, on some level. What would I do, if he pushed the limits? Weighing the benefits and consequences, he decided that if the opportunity presented itself, he'd conduct a little test.

"What?" I snapped as he continued to look at me and I began to feel uncomfortably aware. I knew I wasn't ugly, but neither was I drop dead gorgeous. My stormy blue eyes and hair that was some shade between blonde and gold were just ordinary. Similarly, my features were okay; an average sized nose and a plump mouth was prettier when I rarely smiled. Again, just ordinary. The only slightly interesting thing about me might be my breasts, which looked disproportionate to my slim and small frame, but not in a fake 'I've-had-augmentation' kind of way. Nope. In my opinion, there was nothing about me that should attract someone as hot as Rin.

He opened his mouth to say something rude, but caught my expression and stopped. I'd obviously realized that what I had just happened was the perfect opening for him to make one of his usual comments. He hated being predictable, so said nothing. After a moment, he continued walking and somewhat flustered I followed him.

We were making the best progress we had so for that day and we stopped to rest at mid-day, I leant my back against a tree as he sat down in the shade of a moss bearded boulder and took out the spell book the Olmvale villagers had thrust on me from my inventory, I looked at the constantly-shifting cover which buzzed so hard with the strength of the spell it contained that it vibrated in my hands. I smoothed my hand over the black binding that seemed to be made from alive shadows itself and Rin rose an eyebrow, "Spell book?" He seemed mildly interested but wouldn't deign to ask more.

"The Olmvale villagers gave it me as a thank you gift for getting rid of the PK's" I shivered, but it had nothing to do with the creepy book. Mentioning Sasuke and his wasp mouthed companion still freaked me out, even if they were dead! My partner opened his mouth - probably to tell me I had to steel myself against such emotions, but I remembered I had something for him too, "Oh, here! They gave me this, too" I materialised the water rune they had also presented me with and bounced it in my palm, it had the appearance of a shimmery cobalt rock with a hieroglyph carved on.

"Un?" He rose his head as I walked over and shrank back a little as I bent down in front of him, the spell book tucked in the crook of my arm and rune in the other.

I stretched out my arm, "Take it, dark types aren't as susceptible water" the sun-rays and shadows of the leaf canopy overhead cast patterns onto the rune and my hair.

He made an indignant clicking noise with his tongue, "You only know that because I told you - and besides, the desert will be filled with earth and fire type monsters" he scoffed, but reached out all the same. Instead of taking it, he placed his hand on top of mine. My eyes widened at the warm touch and I bit down on my lip to keep from making a surprised noise, the rune activated and slid under his skin with a brilliant azure light. I felt the weight of it vanish and Rin gave a little shoulder shake as the increased immunity settled on him, "Thanks" he whispered as though he hated saying it.

I airily waved my hand pleased to feel the tension between us leaving, even if I didn't completely understand why it existed in the first place. Before he could see how the simple touch had affected me I span back around and turned my attention back to improving my own power. Back against the trunk my eyes scanned the pages for a few minutes - or so I thought.

When I turned the last page and closed the book, it vanished in my arms in a shower of sparks and my partner was stood above me twitching. I felt the heady thrill of new knowledge running through my blood and smiled, but he remained stony faced, "What?" I asked, then became aware I was sat on the floor by the trees bowels now.

"I've been saying we need to leave for an hour. You had your head buried in there" his frown deepened beneath the wing of his fringe and he folded his arms over his chest, combined with the axe it was a very menacing appearance.

I flushed, wide-eyed "S-sorry! I didn't realise!" I giggled sheepishly, "It must have been really interesting.." My chuckles faltered off under the weight of his glare, we must have lost all the progress we made. When he looked like that, it was only the reminder that he was partying with me that stopped me from being seriously afraid of him. It made me realise that finishing this game was just as important to him as it was to me.

When I struggled to stand, Rin rolled his eyes and grabbed my arm, pulling me up to my feet. The heat from his hand burned through the thin material of his cloak and my shirt - I was sure that if I looked, there would be a scald mark on my skin from the contact. Sneaking a peek at his face, I wondered if he had felt anything unusual, but he let go and inclined his chin, "Show me, then"

I gulped before nodding, unsure of my skill since this was my first time using the spell. Still at least this way if it went wrong he was here to use a potion, and could keep away any monsters who might use my distraction to attack me as I concentrated. I needed to be stood in shadow for this to work, but since I was still underneath the tree that wasn't a problem. I spoke the words from the book I had memorised in my mind and said the activation words aloud, "Shadow Walk" some Players could use a spell without vocalisation but it took practice until the skill was almost maxed out.

I blinked as darkness enveloped me and I swam in nothing for a split half-second before the forest reappeared and I was stood behind Rin in the grey imprint that another tree cast upon the floor, "Wow!" I cheered and he span around in surprise, "Shadow Walk!" I repeated with much more confidence and after vanishing popped back into sight in another spot of darkness. This was so cool!

"Alright, it works..now stop before you over-strain yourself" he warned as I happily span in a circle. With the sound of the breeze in my ears I didn't hear him and did the spell again, "Oof!" I landed heavily against his front as I materialised in his shadow, he held his arms out just above my shoulders wanting to support me without touching on that odd way he had.

"Sorry" I squeezed my eyes shut and gave a fiendish grin as I had a sudden idea of how we could make up for the time I had wasted, I threw my arms around his middle and he squawked with alarm, "Shadow Walk!" His angry curse stopped as he disappeared along side me. We winked back into the shadows of dense foliage and I laughed, "It worked!" I moved away from him.

He spat out the last syllables of his curse and then looked around, noticing we had moved, "What the-!" He glared at me furiously, "Don't you dare, ever. Ever! Do that again!" He seemed almost angry enough to poke me in the forehead or shoulder, his hands trembled but he turned to stomp away.

I trailed after him like a deflated party balloon, "Mmm..okay, sorry.." I hummed nonchalantly, "But look - we made good time" I tried to make positive of the situation.

He snapped back without looking, "No, we're lost!" A loud clicking had us both spinning around again to see one of the oddest monsters I'd seen so far. Its appearance was reminiscent to a well camouflaged spawn of brown horse and green insect, but that couldn't be right - two such species could never naturally mix.

I wondered if it would attack as it rose its long equine nose from the grass it had been tearing up between its glittering mandibles, it's nose twitched and forelocks dug into the ground. Two shimmering panelled wings rose and buzzed anxiously, started by our abrupt appearance and more scared of us than we of it, it turned its thorax around and galloped away

Rin watched it go with a regretful sigh, "A Belsarus, herbivore and shy. It's a rare grass type monster. We could have used that for a ride.." he sighed and checked his map before throwing me a grudging nod, "You're lucky, we've teleported a few miles ahead" as I began to smile he frowned, "But don't look so happy! You still kept us an hour behind earlier!"

"I said I was sorry!" I snapped and glanced away. A big tree stood to my right. Its branches stretched out like greedy hands and a hole in the trunk reminded me of a gaping mouth. He turned and studied me for a long moment and I had to force myself not to start twisting my fingers nervously.

I'd almost decided he wasn't going to answer, when he finally spoke, "I told you, using a spell like that more than a few times on occasion will seriously exhaust you! You're still so weak.." I straightened and opened my mouth to protest. Who did he think he was? Before I could speak though, he continued, still staring at me, no doubt reading my reaction to his words, "You're my party member so I have to keep you safe!"

The words hung in the air between us and when I shut my open mouth he span back around and strode away. I held my hand to my chest to feel the heavy pound of my heart behind it as his words elicited fluttering in my stomach. I thought about how he attacked me but then lifted me up from falling down into the chasm at Goemon's quarry, when we had fought the Golem together and laid outside on the grass watching the sky after unblocking the cave-in, later as he saved me from the wolves and countless other monsters. The memory of us cleaning our bodies back-to-back in the pool, him leading me safely to Emiel Village and explaining the rules of Worlds of Angelcestra when we learned from Dark Emperor Momoga that we were trapped in here. Then, we fought against two PK's and saved Olmvale from their tyranny - all that had just been in a day!

It took a moment for the butterflies to settle as I stood savouring what he had said and when I looked up Rin was almost out of sight, so I had to run to chase after him.


	16. Chapter 16

Midday continued to be eventful as we fought against an array of monsters to gain EXP and Items, the strongest had been the Jello King, despite it looking like a huge blob of the green shampoo I used to clean my hair IRL with a crown atop. Upon seeing us the goop had split into a smile and it launched itself with amazing speed towards us, but the dragon dispatched of most of them quickly and I extinguished the rest with a few magma shots from my plasma hand cannon. Killing a Minor Boss left us with some great loot and I acquired a earth spell book to create landslides I couldn't use so would well next chance I got.

Later I pointed out the tiny grey rats with small cloth sacks on their backs as they scurried in the underbrush and Rin ran after them shouting that we could get flour from them if we defeated them, afterwards we added water from his wine-skin and rolled it into two balls. After stacking rocks into a cairn he lit a fire inside and we put the two buns inside before sealing the entrance with more stones. When a toasting fragrance drifted through the air we shattered the pile and winched as we picked up the small loaves, hot enough to burn out fingertips a little.

Sitting down I blew on mine to cool it and ate it up, it had been hard and the flavour needed butter to enchanted it but I knew my cooking skill had gone up a little by baking it anyway. Afterwards we ate the jelly we had acquired from fighting the Jello King and succeeding, which was much tastier as long as I didn't think of how we got it. When Rin licked the last remains from his lips and I laughed at what a glutton he was an angry squeaking behind us had us both standing back up, he drew his axe as I took my plasma hand cannon out from my inventory. Two waist high black rats with red eyes were almost upon us!

"Get behind me" he ordered as he swung his axe in an outward arc, the rats leapt back but snuffled closer again. Both wore crowns and the one on the right had a tiny sceptre she waved threateningly, the one on the left wore a small red robe, "These are Minor Bosses" he warned and I complied. I could see now that they were closer that these were LVL 16 an inconceivably higher power level than mine, and ever since my partner had caught me sneaking a look at his level he used cloaking magic to blur the numbers at all times now so I couldn't see it - that alone told me he was really strong!

The female ran forwards and hefted the golden rod, he deflected with his axe and the male ran forwards to use his claws on Rin's unprotected side. I shot two fireballs towards his paws and they both gave squeaks of rage as he fell back covered with scorch marks, the Queen threw her sceptre towards me and received a gouge on her furry cheek from the dark haired man's axe with nothing to protect her from the blow, "Ah!" I cried as I lifted up the plasma hand cannon to deflect the weapon and both impacted to disappear in a haze of sparks. My weapons duration had expired!

"NO! Hikari!" He shouted loudly with a fury that rang through the trees as the King ran past him and underneath his axe, towards me. I tried to shift into my Succubus form but my MP was still low from using Shadow Walk so many times earlier, I didn't dare use my Mirror Move skill with Rin close by because it's unknown power was so random. As I shook wondering what to do the dragon turned and threw his axe so it embedded in the male rat, it instantly died in a shower of stars.

The female let out the rodent equivalent of an anguished scream and buried her claws into the slate eyed mans unprotected back, "Rin!" I yelled as I watched his HP bar half into yellow, "Huh?" I blinked and swayed a little as his body engulfed in the bright blue fire that came from within him and the Queen shirked with a different kind of emotion - pain.

"Eek-eek, eek!" In a panic she yanked her paw free and it tore away instead of blood a scorching sear of azure fire burst from his shoulder blade to send her spinning backwards, the holes of her other piercing also spouted flame and it began to curl and form wings. He rose a cobalt scaled claw and grinned to reveal fangs as the same colour fire shot from it to engulf her, the flames fed on her body even as she fell to the floor and vanished when she did.

"Wow..." I muttered, because it had never seen such power before - even on UW or when I was a Guildmaster on an MMORPG. He span around at the noise and his claw went back to his side - I saw his other hand had changed too and that the fire had solidified into blue draconic wings, he walked closer faster than I'd thought possible and in seconds was so close I could see the tiny scales around his eyes and his pointed, scaly ears, "R-Rin..?" All of a sudden I was afraid of him.

He stared at me with an alien lack of recognition in his dark grey eyes and the claw lifted, bright fire grew and I flinched back gasping in air to form a scream when the fire died back down as suddenly as it came. The mask broke as his blank expression crumpled and he fell to his knees, raising his claws to his face as they changed back into hands his wings curled up and withered to blow away like ash before my very eyes. So remorseful this he looked more like a fallen angel than a mighty dragon, "S-sorry.." He whispered.

I wondered if he was crying. Fear closed around my throat as I remembered the predatory manner he had assessed me as though I were nothing more than simply the next opponent for him to defeat. But then I looked down to the shaking Player in front of me who seemed so real to me and couldn't help starting to reach out my hand to lay it on his shoulder, "What was that-"

He abruptly stood back up, startling me so much I hopped back before I could touch him. His eyes were red but dry, "Forget about it, it was nothing. Come on, let's go" When I stood there dumbly reeling from emotional-whiplash from how quickly he composed himself he explained, "You don't want to stand around waiting for another monster to come attracted by the scent of food or the noise we just made whilst you have no armour and no weapon, do you?" He seemed eager to leave.

After we collected the Peri and items from killing the Minor Bosses and applied Potions he stormed off just as he had earlier and I had to catch up to him again. As he walked by flowered bushes he didn't comment on what vegetation type they were like he usually did, and his dark mood persisted as he brutally sliced his axe through whatever monster and boxes came across his path. He took the bounty in stormy silence and continued as I hounded his heels, keeping an appropriate distance whilst my thoughts kept me busy. What had that power been before? Obviously Rin had lifted his Glamour a little earlier and allowed some of his Dragon traits to emerge, but what had that insane magic been? His strength hadn't seemed to be that of a Dragon at all, it was almost like he had been an entirely different person..

"Eep!" I squeaked unintentionally mimicking the noise that that just come from underneath my foot. In my musing I had stepped on something squishy and I hurriedly rose it dreading the worst. The monster underneath shivered before jumping upright and preening itself.

It looked like a squirrel. I had never seen one IRL before but I'd watched many funny videos online that featured the cute furry animals trying to steal nuts from birdhouses. This one was white though, but it couldn't be albino because it had black stripes on its back and forepaws. I picked it up to see it had three tails and tiny fluffy wings. I couldn't help letting out an awed noise, it was so cute!

"I wouldn't hold that too close if I were you..." Rin warned as I reached out to pet it. It snarled and sucked in air so it's body began to balloon at an alarming rate, with a shriek I dropped it as it became the size of a basket-ball and then bigger still. It's wings fluttered to lift it aloft and it's feline shaped mouth split open to reveal huge rows of fangs. He sighed wearily and hefted his axe two-handedly to cut through it in one smooth motion, it squealed and vanished in a stream of sparkles.

"But it looked so cute.." I forlornly watched the glitter fly up into the sky and wink out of existence or rise even higher into the blue expanse where I couldn't see them. I wanted to wave it goodbye. The dragon shook his head like he couldn't believe the Avatar he partied with and we went on our way. After an hour or so in the time of this world we came across an empty clearing with a solitary burning fire, "Huh..?" I walked over to it and inspected it, it was indeed a normal red-yellow fire crackling merrily as it ate through the bunch of twigs beneath, "A campfire..maybe something is around there?"

I stepped back, now that I thought about it a lively fire in a deserted area like this might mean an ambush or that somebody had been attacked when they had been setting up camp. Of course it might just be a Player had made the fire then gone away to hunt something to cook on it, I assured myself.

"That's not a campfire.." He ran towards me and reached around my middle to drag me back just as the fire rose up and sped towards us. A scorching comet hit the ground where I had just stood and the blades of grass burned black then charred to a crisp, I let out a strangled gurgle. He released me and I scrambled to my feet. The fire continued to burn even though it had eaten up everything beneath it, I noticed it also burned in one solitary place and didn't spread out to burn the rest of the clearing.

Tendrils of flame leapt out from the fire to become arms and two coal eyes gleamed within the burning mass, "A monster?!" I asked as I got behind my partner before he could tell me too.

He shook his head and stepped forwards, "No.." I rose my hand out and grasped air as he ran forwards and I was left yelling at him to come back, his hands morphed into claws and he charged to meet the fire head on. I screamed as it greedily covered every inch of his body and covered my eyes, "Mm..nn" seconds later I heard a curious noise.

"Uh?" Cautiously I peered through the cage of my fingers and saw Rin's head was moving, entirely ablaze his shirt beneath his armour was beginning to deteriorate but the armour itself held firm for now. He was the source of the odd sound and it wasn't until the fire shrieked that I noticed his jaw was moving like he was chewing, "WHA-!" My jaw hung open as I noticed he was eating it!

"Mnmm..nmm" the fire up higher and higher until it became a thin pillar of screaming flame being sucked slowly back down and then the last wisps disappeared between his lips. He burped loudly and rubbed his stomach with human hands before turning to me with an abashed look, "Excuse me" he pardoned and I gave a dumb wide-eyed nod. He gestured to the scorch marks, the only evidence the fire had ever been there, "Fire spell, a sentinel formed from flame and given sentient thought. Not dragon-made though, so no problem for me" he patted his torso again, "That was an easy meal"

"I-I see.." I stuttered blinking even though I was seriously in shock over the entire thing. But now that I thought about it, it made sense, fire was his element after all and eating it had replenished his HP bar back up to full green.

"Now as for why it was here.." Rin reached out his hand and the air rippled in front of him, warping visibly. He clenched his fist and something shattered, all of a sudden I was surrounded by noise and visible signs of bustling life.


	17. Chapter 17

A group of the most animalistic yet undeniably female creatures stood around a fire adding ingredients to a huge, bubbling caldron from which rose an appetising steam, they wore hide skirts and armour over their rainbow of scales and I wasn't sure if the clumps of feathers were natural or a tribal accessory. A male one dressed the same with tan leggings beneath came over easily carrying a imposing spear topped with a huge piece of raw meat, he slid it in using the lip of the pot as leverage and it landed in with a splash.

I leapt back in shock and nearly walked into a side of roasted pig hung high from a tree, "WHA?!" I shouted and my partner shook his head at my behaviour, "Wh-what are those things?!" The AI's around me stopped their tasks to laugh and one came forward, a man-thing which was reptilian and bird-like all at once.

Rin stared at him with a look I hadn't seen on his Avatar before which took me a moment to place - I then realised it was confusion and for once he didn't know what special type of AI it was. They reminded of Belsarus, the coy tempered grass type monster that was rarely seen - except when I looked around my jaw dropped seeing five of the elusive creatures tethered to trees making a curious noise between a nicker and a buzz.

"Welcome to our camp" the male greeted in a jovial enough voice and I wondered how he could speak so clearly with all those feathers and scales on his faces, he even had a magnificent beard like a long wing extending from his chin, "You are most welcome, please take refuge within our camp. I apologise for the guard-" he looked Rin up and down, but there was no intent or suspension in the glance, merely appraisal. "-But you didn't have a problem with that"

"No.." He the dragon admitted grudgingly, as if he didn't want to boast of the ease of such a feat like he usually did. He also openly looked the creature up and down wondering if he was a danger. I also glanced around and behind me, but the AI's were back to their chores and paid us no heed, "I guess we could rest for a little while"

"You must be tired from the forest, please eat with us" he gestured to the area and after a moments hesitation, the dark haired man nodded a little, "I am Bob the leader of our tribe" he pointed a claw towards himself and I stifled my sudden laughter. For such a monster to have such a mundane, normal name! Rin's shoulders shook as he tried to contain his own laughter, the clan leader couldn't help but notice and explained, "My true name does not translate well in your language, and the last Players that came by here gave me a new name" he wasn't coded efficiently enough to be affronted by our reactions, "I believe it is something like Zero-One-Three-Eight-Sixteen-Eighty-"

He would have continued but my partner cut across him, alit with a sudden interest, "So other Players have already been here, huh?" Bob nodded and we sobered with the knowledge that we weren't the VRMMORPG's leading party. He went on to describe them and I took another look around.

The men slept below on the floors under their women, in coarse blankets. To the back there was a large cone-shaped tent made from bleached hide and decorated with beads into whirled patterns. A big fire crackled and popped outside it. It looked like any other campsite, but the campers looked like monsters out of a DragonAge game! Well I wouldn't fit right in but it seemed like a nice enough place.

The babies dressed in knee length tunics made me smile as they slumbered peacefully in hammocks that swung gently in the breeze, or snuggled into their mothers' sides balanced on a thorny hip. I peeked closer at a few and cooed at their scaled cheeks and soft crowns of feathery hair. That said, despite the large amount of people there weren't many young ones present. Just as I was thinning that the elder gave a solemn nod, "You've noticed..the plague that kills only children afflicts all species, even ours" My smile faded.

"Is there nothing you can do?" I asked and regretted it when Rin glared at me, of course they would have tried everything at their disposal.

"Our Healers have tried every poultice and our Mage every spell he knows.." Bob's claws curled into fists, "We even went a Scouting party out to collect Potions and Antidotes.." he shook himself sadly, his face ageing beneath the scales,"..Nothing works" his head bowed down, the grief humanising him. Even though he wasn't real I still felt compelled to help this man who had the heavy burden of keeping his tribe safe against a powerful, all-knowing enemy.

I wanted to reassuringly pat his shoulder but decided not to risk impaling myself on any spikes, "Don't worry, we'll help you" I promised fervently and my partner frowned at me again, I wrinkled my brow back at him.

"You shouldn't promise something like that!" He snapped as Bob wiped the tears that had stuck to the feathers under his eyes.

"Thank you, kind lady" he bowed to me and gave a watery smile, "But listen to your husband, it's not safe for a-"

"He isn't my husband!" I rose my sheds to shield my eyes as I shrieked loudly from behind them, the AI's who heard laughed again. Rin rolled his eyes to cover how embarrassed he felt and swallowed, pretending to not notice the obvious blush spreading up my neck to the tips of my ears, "Why does everyone keep thinking that?"

Bob bowed again, even lower this time, "I'm sorry, I just assumed it was so as you two travel together" I realised that he spoke in a archaic manner. Is that why Morwena had also assumed we were a couple, were others going to jump to that conclusion?!

"Have you been getting also hassle from PK's too?" The dragon asked and I felt stupid for not thinking to mention it before him, there was something I found really irritating about the way he so easily outsmarted me.

The chieftain nodded, "Yes. But it is also to keep out other forces who would wish to disturb us.." "Our very existence here is an error, one that Dark Emperor Momoga would see removed" I shivered at the mentioned of the evil man who had trapped us all inside here and Bob fixed me with a grave look, "Yes, you respond as the other Players and all of my tribe do to the utterance of his name" he spread out a claw to encompass all of his people, "We are a species that was originally created to be in the game, but half-way through production he changed his mind and set us aside in a folder for the potential future. Somehow when coding we were freed and we crept into WOA with him noticing, we don't have a official name and we named our camp Home"

"A-a misplaced species?!" I blinked in amazement looking around at everybody with new eyes. I checked the map and it indicated we weren't in any area of the map labelled differently than the rest of the forest around us.

Rin nodded, "It makes sense, given this game is still in production" he concluded, "So that's why I don't know what species you are" he added and I threw him a glare, he was so conceited! No wonder he got so freaked out when he didn't know what creature Bob was, "And what's WOA?"

"We hide ourselves with the Undetectable Barrier of Discernment you smashed earlier to escape his detection" Bob explained, "It is what those of us who had been here since the beginning call Worlds of Angelcestra" We nodded, the shortening of the mouthy title of the VRMMORPG made sense as it was quicker to use when referring to it.

I frowned as a thought popped into my mind, "Does that mean now it's broken Momoga will be able to find you?"

He inclined his feathery beard in the direction of a group of his kind gathered around chanting, "See how already they lend their strength our Mage to replenish the spell. We also move around a lot so he cannot find us easily" The orange glow of a roaring, smoky fire flickered across exposed skin, creatures with ears pointed and teeth fanged, swayed to a throbbing pulse I could feel vibrating my skeleton. Feet clawed and scaled pounded the ground in a tribal rhythm.

The beating of chests, feathered and armoured, blended into a melodic clamour. Fingers sunk into the earth to scoop bracken from the floor and heave it into the air with a flourish, letting it sprinkle over them like polluted rain. I watched them entranced by the theatrical display for a moment before sitting down on a tree stump to check the Items I had collected from today's battles, reflecting on the tough times we had faced. My partner was now being reluctantly tailed by a gaggle of girl-creatures in their adolescent years who giggled and fluttered their feathers at him, they didn't seem to sense his displeasure.

There was a shiny gold ring that when worn increased my Agility by three, a monster repellant Talisman the Rat King had dropped and some lesser items like small Potions and some poisoned arrows I couldn't use because I didn't have a bow. Amongst this I also rediscovered the two Refinement stones I bought in Goemon to enchant my weapon and armour with - and since I currently had neither they would be of little use to me.

Palming them I walked over to the dragon and his crowd of admirers, I had to push my way through and one rudely barged me back with her hip as I shoved by her. Ow! I glared at her wordlessly. These overlooked errors had personalities of their own! "You looked so impressive fighting the Mage's sentinel!" Another cooed.

I pasted on a eager smile and handed the stones to him, "Here. You can use it on your axe" I fisted my hands in my lap, "I know it got damaged in the fight earlier"

He looked annoyed by my presence and even less happy to accept the gifts, the female monsters let out noises of frustration and beat their scaled fists, "We should make gifts to present to the strong warrior who has promised to save us!" They all scattered away.

He sent me a scathing look, "See what you've done by making promises so easily?" He grumbled and studied them a moment further. Both were small dull grey rocks with the letter R carved atop, "Refinement Stones.." He muttered and returned one into his inventory.

I returned to my stump and discreetly watched him as he took his mighty axe from his back and began to sharpen its imposing blade with the rock. The chanting finished and an outwards ripple formed in the air around the clearing as the protective shield appeared to deflect all eyes that pried upon the camp. Soon afterwards the feast was held and we were given a patch of grass to sit on closest to the fire as a gesture of respect, the creatures sang and we ate roasted small octopus shaped plants, meat smothered with paste of ground nuts and herb crackers for dessert.

I scraped my wooden plate clean because although we had eaten at midday fighting monsters worked up quite the appetite, I also wanted to eat it all before the durability diminished. I wondered how my IRL body was faring. It was halfway through my second day trapped in WOA, had anybody had found me yet and notified the appropriate authorities? Feeling a little dispirited as I handed the eating utensils back to a tan feathered boy with ivy scales I decided to see if I could trade with any of the creatures and get Items that would be helpful for me in the desert. It would take a whole because the clearing was so busy, this was a clan of twenty and a handful more or so creatures.

Shopping in WOA and other VRMMORPG's was more therapeutic fun than in real life because of the variety of interesting clothing designs, powerful weapons and decorative armours, more spells and runes than I knew of and a variety of differentiating potion types. I felt Rin's eyes upon me as I asked around until the hunter who had put the meat into the pot earlier directed me to a tent made from woven leaves. The air cooled as I stepped inside to see a man sat on a rug with thick dreadlocks locked in place upon his bare, scaled chest with white beads, he nodded as I entered.

"Hello" I greeted feeling a little awkward as these creatures displayed more emotion than strictly coded AI's did, it might be possible that I would unintentionally offend him, "I'd like to trade some items if possible" he gave another nod and I sold him a earth magic spell book I had gotten for defeating the Jello King which neither I nor Rin could use. It fetched a good amount of Peri, and with the coin I'd earned earlier I had enough that I could easily buy that badly needed new armour.

"What do you have in mind?" He asked and uncrossed his brawny, feathered arms, tilting his head to one side his braids rustled like snakes.

"I'm going to be crossing the desert" I explained and he rose up his hand. A variety of different armours materialised, some thick slabs of carved metal and others delicately melded steel that looked like it couldn't possibly withstand a powerful blow, all in different colours and some with status effects.

He settled on a blue gauzy cloth garb of vaguely Arabian design that bared a lot of skin and didn't seem like it would provide much respite from the suns rays or any thorny cactus spikes for that matter either! "The Trulus Desert is vast, this Foenicks will give you large Fire resistance" I shrugged and with his advice bought it, then at his word used almost all of the rest of my Peri on portions and Stamina replenishing Elixir's, "Why do you attempt such a dangerous feat?"

I rose an eyebrow, it should be obvious right? "To complete the game of course!" I placed a finger on my lip, "Wait, did you say Trulus Desert?" I committed the name to memory as I equipped the Foenicks Armour and in a flash of white light my clothing changed. When I eased my eyes open because I had protectively closed them against the glare my boots had changed for small black pump style shoes, I wore a navy vest with lighter azure trim cropped to expose my stomach with a low hanging chain of copper coins attached and dark billowing pantaloons with a pale waist sash.

He shrugged, "I suppose as we are born as part of the game, I do not understand why one such as you from another place would wish to leave. We are content in our hiding as long as we are also free" He explained before adding, "Yes, it is also known as the Unforgiving Sand-Tomb" Momoga certainly had a twisted sense of humour, I reflected as I twisted the gold bangle on my upper arm.

I tied my hair back with the black head-dress armoured with copper coins that increased my defence and would keep some of the heat from my face, it took me a minute because I wasn't used to wearing the light blue gloves that the Inventory informed me would protect me in dust-storms, "Cheerful" I sarcastically replied as I gave a swirl, "Now how about a weapon?" He smiled for the first time.

When I walked back outside with that confident swagger a change of clothes could provide and a much happier air despite the lighter purse Rin openly appraised me before seeming to remember who I was and snapped his eyes away, "Here's your Shadow Cloak of Draconian" I materialised it and handed it back to him, I thought he would sweep it on over his shoulders but he returned it to his Inventory instead.

He jerked his chin at my new outfit and still avoided my gaze, "W-where did you get that stuff?" He stammered and I noticed his cheeks had tinted a little pink. How come he was acting so strangely? I jerked a thumb to the tent I had appeared back out from and he nodded, awkwardly clearing his throat into my hand, "I see, good idea to restock on supplies and get rid of anything we don't need, we can't be weighed down"

He strode over to the tent and bent to disappear inside. As I waited for him I watched the male creatures skilfully craft flint knives and more throwing spears to hunt with, the women mended their mates armour attentively and preserved the remaining meat in salt so it's Durability would last, the remaining children wrestled playfully in the grass as the fire guard watched on under the guise of a normal campfire. Seeing them reminded me of all the sick children and just when I was wondering where they could be I spotted a Healer with a bowl of green fowl smelling substance that was definitely medicinal heading into a patch worked tent pitched far away from the others and in a state of neglect.

Macabrely curious I walked over and cautiously poked my head inside, flinching as the Healer stood patiently on the other side of the entrance flap as if she had known I would follow, "I'm sorry!" I squeaked before my eyes fell on the tiny figures breathing unevenly and twisting in an uncomfortable sleep, "Oh.." My voice fell to a whisper. It was small but clean inside and thick with an air of old magic spells, incense and mixed herbs, even underneath that the reek of oncoming death was unmistakable.

She moved to each cot and applied the poultice, peering closer I noticed they all had dark green-purple blotches like bruises underneath their skin beneath the scales and feathers, "I cast a Deep Slumber upon them, it is all I can do that they do not feel the full extent of the pain" her voice surprised me with the depth of its sadness, my hands curled into fists, "Some call it the Plague and others the Reaper's Touch - I have even heard it be called the Scourge, but it does not matter. It's fatal effects are the same"

Momoga had so much to account for. "He has to be brought to justice..." I whispered. A man who enjoyed creating creatures just to inflict misery on them like this could be a dangerous madman and an IRL threat to the world. Left alone unchallenged he might trap more than five hundred people next time. These thoughts echoed through my mind as I walked to the side of the bed to look upon the shivering child with the hitched breathing within.

"Although it does not affect Adults many parents are still nervous to approach their sick ones now" The Healer murmured and clasped the leaf shaped pendant she held around her neck in prayer. Without a thought I bent down and scooped the ill child up in my arms, no more than two or three he seemed so real as he murmured but didn't wake. He was lighter than I thought and felt very thin, I could feel the sharp angles of his bones beneath the blanket. Knowing the Healer was watching I only held him for a second, because it just seemed that somebody should, and at that moment I wanted to hug every single one of them; but I set him back down.

"Thank you for showing me them.." My body shook with contained anger but my voice remained level, the Healers eyes widened inside the feathers that haloed them, "..I won't stand for this-"

What was going to be a chivalrous tirade was interrupted when Rin peered into the tent and seeing that I was inside, joined us. He wore a white turban with a small amethyst with strands of his inky hair falling out. A sleeveless white shirt exposed the brown arm guards on his arms and the black gloves he wore to conceal the tattoos on his wrists I'd glimpsed once yesterday, "There you are.." He avoided my eyes and seemed sheepish.

I smothered a giggle, the billowing black pants made him look like some errant hero from a romance novel of some bygone era, "Are we leaving?" I asked but his gaze had fixed upon the children and he became very still. A blend of anger and guilt spread across his face before he shut down a second later and with a curt nod left the tent, was this the same man who full of battle blood-lust had almost turned on his own party member hours earlier?

We will return here one day!" I called over my shoulder as I scrambled after him, "I promise we will heal all the children in Angelcestra!" I shouted and my words were met with cheers as the AI's crowded to see us off outside heard. I bit my lip remembering the dragon warning me about making promises I couldn't keep - but this one I fully intended to.

I sought out my partner and hastened to followed him as he passed the guard; the fire temporarily dampened down as he walked by in respect to his power. He had the same colour and style shoes on now as me. The tribe shouted farewells stamping feet and spears or clapping claws, the young females ran after us throwing presents for him and he broke into a jog to avoid the gift projectiles. When I caught up with him I saw he had on a thin brown belt with small gold coins attached and also had a sash like mine but purple.

I couldn't forget the tiny bodies of the children as we made our way back into thick forest foliage and I had to concentrate on not tripping over tree roots again, my mind so tortured between the two Rin had to have sensed my discomfort because as soon as we were well out of sight and hearing range enough of the clearing he stopped, "What's that dagger?" He suddenly asked gesturing to the new weapon on my hip.

I touched the silver hilt so the information bar appeared and he could read it, "This is Star Piercer" I told him and he took a closer glance to inspect it before straightening back up,"Does your axe have a name?"

He rolled his eyes and started walking again, "Of course" he snorted and waved a hand airily "Catastrophe" he replied in an offhand voice.


	18. Chapter 18

I let out a sigh and stretched as we walked past yet another tall dark purple tree, the eighteenth one if I had counter correctly - or maybe it was the same one and we were lost going in a big circle. Somehow I knew that wouldn't the the case though, because somehow Rin always knew which way to go and we never got lost. That said, we had been surrounded by the same thick vegetation for some time - it was only coming across crates of loot and monsters that kept me from wondering if we were making any progress at all!

Over the hours I'd misplaced most of my anger towards Momoga on any monsters in the area but the smouldering coals still remained and burned brightly whenever I recalled the ill children, especially the small boy I had held. How dare the man play God and then torture his own creations! It didn't make any sense! I kicked a bush to vent some of my frustration and squeaked as it rustled angrily back at me, then ran to my partners side. Earlier large innocuous looking cocoons had fallen down on silken threads from a tree when I leaned too heavily against the trunk, it was only the dragons Speed whisking me to a safe distance that saved me as they simultaneously all self-combusted. I had been more cautious since then.

He flickered his peripherals over me and let out a light exhale. I hopped back to give him some space and let out a low hum, "Shouldn't the forest be thinning out by now?" I asked.

"We aren't heading in the direction of Trulus yet" he explained and my mouth opened to complain. This was the first time he'd mentioned it! He continued loudly over my whining, "There should be a dungeon around here somewhere, we haven't come across one yet. As beta-testers we should check it out in case others haven't!" I clamped my mouth shut and shivered, rubbing my upper arms. That was just the way he was, for the last few hours he had accepted and completed every Quest AI's we saw asked us,

The last monster we had fought had been terrifying. One moment I had been showing Rin the salt-preserved meat the Home clan-women had given me before leaving and he had been warning me to put it back in my Inventory before the scent attracted a monster, and then there it was. It slunk casually across our path with all the ease of a trained hunter who has been waiting for its pray to turn up. It was shaped like a leopard, but no leopard I had ever seen was lilac with small rubies scattered under the red jewel-like eyes. I blinked and stared, the eyes really were jewels! Two of them were set in its face above the snarling snout alive with a savage intelligence.

The dragon had warned me not to stare into its eyes as they had a hypnotic effect, and it chose that distraction to pounce. Rin dove to the ground on top of me and from underneath his shoulder with my head peeking out I saw the sleek underbelly of the big cat as it jumped over it, three of its paws were made of the glistening stone whilst one was a furry claw.

It landed gracefully and it's lips peeled back in a snarl, more bright jewels see sprinkled across its back. An information bar appeared proclaiming it to be a Rubifel, along with a long green rectangle of substantial HP at LVL 17. "It's an earth-psychic element" he explained without taking his eyes from the creature.

"You can get monsters with two element types?" I asked although it was now obvious. My dagger was useless because in order to use it I would also have to be within striking distance of those dangerous talons, as it sped towards me I ducked my head down and rose up my arms to shield myself against the oncoming blow. My partner intercepted by throwing his axe so it embedded into the monsters side, it roared with pain and the ground rumbled beneath our feet. He jumped up as a boulder rose from the ground where he had been stood a moment before, landing and leaping to safety again as a large pit appeared seconds later.

As powerful as the Rubifel was it seemed that Rin was always a step ahead of the creature. Just when I was glowing with pride reflecting on what a strong party member I had the cat skidded around and turned its attention to me. Keeping my eyes on the ground to avoid its paralysing gaze as I took a step backwards the world slid out from underneath me and I fell to the floor, I cursed my clumsiness as the monster howled in triumph. I felt and heard the thud of its paws as it ran over and the dragon let out a long, loud roar. It rang through the trees and startled birds into the sky, loud and clear to alert everybody around for a mile or so that a strong dragon was here - not that bringing attention to us mattered, because the noise was so dangerous nobody would be stupid or brave enough to come looking.

The Rubifel's whiskers drooped comically as a huge burst of flame jettisoned from Rin's mouth to engulf its body. When I had pulled myself up and apologised for the millionth time in only two days for my clumsiness we waited for the scorched earth to cool before we collected our bounty, I let him have most of it as he had done all of the work but because it had been a powerful monster I still acquired a good amount of Peri. Smiling as I counted my coin I didn't notice my partner stoop to pluck up one final object, one of the red stones that remained on the floor like a drop of blood - the Rubifel Eye.

Back in the now I let out a pondering hum, "Do you think we should email the information we already know to the other Players?" A lot of people might have been too scared to leave Goemon village and settled down much like weak Players did in SAO's Town of Beginnings.

He shook his head and pushed a branch aside as he stooped to bend under it, "No. Momoga's Admin privileges means he can read mail, we've already sent one and I don't want to attract his attention" he waited, still holding the tree limb.

I hastily bowed to get passed and the moment I had he let it swing back, "Right" I surmised our tasks, "So, first find the dungeon and then onto The Unforgiving Sand-Tomb?" I sighed, that sounded like it would all be very difficult. I didn't even want to imagine myself baking in the middle of all that dry sand I'd seen in the Demo video that stretched for miles and miles. Still, by searching out all the dungeons and completing all the quests we would ensure we had the strongest weapons and most EXP - this wasn't just about making the best walk through anymore, "What a day"

The suns rays shimmering through the overhead canopy cast a myriad of shadows on the mossy ground which was soft under my thin soles, I kept an alert eye out for monsters and often noticed my partner cock his head and sniff to check for the same threats. The dragon looked a little lost which I'd never seen happen before. After another hour of thick forest we crested up a steeper incline following the beaten path which zig-zagged from one side to the other and had clumps of trees dotted at each sharp corner, the tracks ended at the top of the hill and after scaring away a warren of small rodent-looking monsters we started looking for the dungeon entrance. It took a while and there wasn't much to go on but eventually Rin sniffed out a hidden door set into a boulder secreted behind a large tree.

I opened my mouth to ask him how to break the Concealment spell but he flared his nostrils and sniffed one small blue fireballs from each. They sank into the stone like a pebble thrown into water and suddenly the outline of a door blazed into view with azure light, he touched it with one claw he and transformed and the section of rock inside vanished to leave a black rectangle. I shivered as a cold draft howled out bringing with it an unpleasant smell of mildew and rotten things, it roared past us like a wind demon and died down just as instantly as it had sprang up.

Rin poked his head inside, "Seems safe" he concluded casually before walking in, I followed much more reluctantly not feeling reassured much and wondering what to expect. Rather than a cave or room hollowed out from the stone we appeared to be standing in a tunnel that stretched way longer than apparently possible - this was just a hole in a rock after all! I looked over my shoulder and the enticing bright light of the green forest remained just on the other side. With a sigh and a feeling I was going to regret this I followed him as he started to explore further.

After a few minutes all the same paranoias of becoming trapped inside here and fears of the tight space around me that I had experienced in the caved-in tunnel yesterday were becoming apparent again. We had moved stealthily enough so far without coming across any treasure or monsters, and soon the tunnel began to twist and curve but didn't thread out into anymore or seen to be coming to any end. My partner as usual didn't seem phased by his surroundings. Now that the dungeon entrance was well behind us the only source of light came from the yellow-white glow of the anemone-shaped lichen that grew on the walls and waved although there was no breeze.

It was all very well when you were playing with an Avatar with a fate not connected to your body - or in a game with bad graphics and revival options, but in this realistic VRMMORPG where if you died your really did IRL - being in this tunnel was downright terrifying. To calm myself I took note of the mundane details of what little I could see: the dark, damp stone of the walls coated with the sickly mould luminescence, outcroppings of rock higher up which different cobalt thorny plants grew on - when we walked passed them many little eyes opened and glared down at us. With a keen eye on all of this I noticed when Rin took a right into the first fork in our path we had found and the tunnel walls became less smooth and rippled with rivulets like they had been worn away by an invisible tide.

"A Blind Wyrm" he said and I leapt back peering behind me, then above and then underneath my foot expecting to see one. He clicked his tongue, "They bore through the rock. It probably made this tunnel just by passing by.."

I blinked, "Y-you mean they're that big?" I squeaked rubbing my upper arms. I couldn't think of anything grosser than a giant, slimy worm! Alright, meeting one down here in the dark with no space to run away would definitely be worse!

He patted his hand against the ravaged stone, "See the serrated grooves? A Blind Wyrm is basically a huge mouth with four sets of teeth and a long fleshy body attached" I shivered again and he sniggered before continuing to increase my displeasure, "If you see one just get out of the way because despite being slow they won't stop and they will eat you along with the stone"

I rubbed my arms even more vigorously, "Is this an old tunnel, can you tell?" My voice was still high-pitched with panic as he chuckled and beckoned for me to follow him as we continued.

"Come on" he called over his shoulder when I stayed put. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just stand right here in this very spot relatively safe forever. Yeah. Right. He carried on walking and I hastily collected myself.

"You didn't answer my question-!" I shrieked as I ran after him to catch up. When he stopped abruptly I dug my heels into the ground to stop before I collided with his axe, "Ow.." I mumbled irritably rubbing my forehead from where it had connected with his shoulder-blade.

"Sh!" He hissed through a clenched jaw. I peered under his elbow and saw a ball of bright green gas hovering in the air a few long paces away from us. It span slowly, emitting green tendrils of itself that flickered and tasted the air.

"Is it a spell?" I whispered and a slit appeared in the side of the ball that faced us to open into a single eye that took up most of its body. The vein threaded white jelly around the black pupil gleamed with a magical sheen and a beam of concentrated white-hot energy shot from the eye. The information bar explained it was a LVL 20 Aiy-Aiy, a psychic elemental type monster.

"Get down!" He curled an arm around my shoulders and bore down his weight until we were both crouched down on the floor. I felt the power and blistering heat of the ray as it passed overhead and the wind it generated ruffled up the longer strands of my hair and singed them so a burning smell filled my nose. It shot like a bright comet down the tunnel we had come from and the came a distant crash followed by a threatening rumble - now we had to go forwards, the way back might be blocked up.

We sprang back upright and the monster was already preparing itself to create another projectile attack, Rin hefted his huge axe to one hand and reached out his free open palm to begin gathering up cerulean flames. I knew without both hands to wield the axe the power behind each blow would be reduced significantly, but with my short dagger and no shield there was nothing I could do to deflect the long-range attacks. My partner was now directing bullets of blue fire into the Aiy-Aiy which shook itself and appeared only minimally damaged, the ball moved with surprising speed so many also missed, "It's weak to the dark type!"

With no more time to lose, I closed my eyes and gasped as pure, blistering energy filled me the instant I reached to the Source, my concealment spell dropped and my grey leathery wings spread and curled down so the tips entered the field of my vision. My arrow tipped tail lashed the floor in clear warning as my lips peeled back from my fangs in a vicious, instinctive snarl. My muscles tensed from the new power coursing through them and the cave looked much brighter with my enhanced vision, I actually now preferred the darkness of the tunnel; shadows welcomed me to hide in them like the sleeve of a mother, I wanted to spill blood and use it for dark spells.

I stared the physic element monster down and fixed it within my sights so my entire concentration was set upon it, "Mirror move!" I shouted activating the skill. My hands curled into fists as my eyes began to feel unbearably warm. Please don't mess up, please don't mess up..I chanted to myself silently as my eyes heated up even more. There was a bright white flash and as I closed my eyes I couldn't tell if it came from me or the Aiy-Aiy.


	19. Chapter 19

After a few seconds I was relatively confident it was safe enough to raise my head up and assess the damage. The fact that I could move was a positive one for me, but I couldn't see much through the thick haze of dust the energy had left behind as it rebounded off the walls. I crawled along the floor on my elbows feeling my way tentatively as the smoke and dirt slowly settled, now I could see a large patch of bare stone from where the bolt had seared the lichen away which made the tunnel a little darker.

My head jolted unpleasantly as I registered sparks in my peripherals moments before they winked out of sight and I craned my neck to find no trace of them. With a sour lump of panic building in my suddenly dry throat and heart pounding slowly in my leaden chest I prayed that hadn't been Rin...I felt a firm grip around my ankle and I screamed loudly as my partner hoisted me up like a fish on a hook into the air, "Oi!" Any happiness I may have felt for his safety was immediately crushed by the anger I felt at such indelicate treatment.

"Good job!" His grinned and I blinked. His fang-sharp teeth were scary even shown in a smile. I ran my tongue around my mouth and corrected myself. Our fang-like teeth.

I halted my inspection and set my jaw resolutely, "Put me down!" I shouted furiously, the blood was starting to rush to my head and I felt a little dizzy.

He effortlessly swung me so I was tilted the right way up and supported me as I found my feet, he didn't stagger even though I was a lot heavier with my Succubus wings "Jeez, shut up, there may be other monsters around..." He rubbed the back of his neck and cast me a sideways glance, "You'll bring the whole place down.." He quipped raising an eyebrow and looking around the ruined tunnel. I clamped my mouth shut as he could easily pick me back up and also because his steady arm felt nice and warm against my shoulder. I could smell his natural citrus scent that had imbued his cloak earlier.

I frowned at him and crossed my arms over my chest, "Don't manhandle me like that!" He again drew a line very pointedly from me to the mess around us which my mimicking skill had created, just like that morning when he had been silently telling me to eat Morwena's food. I realised he had been making a joke, the first one he'd made. Laughter belatedly bubbled up behind my lips and I collapsed into giggles against his side; in my Succubus form the happy noise sounded like a glass wind chime.

He rolled his eyes, "It wasn't that funny.." He grumbled in a deadpan voice that made me laugh louder until it rang and dislodged a few loose pebbles from the piles of debris.

When I had finished I leant away from him and surveyed the deep gouges and craters in the tunnel, "Wait, I did this?" I asked as what he had said struck me. I stared down at my grey tinged fingers that curved into powerful claws as if seeing them for the first time. I still couldn't believe how real and natural this demon form felt even though it was so different from a human body, NerveGear technology really was incredible - but now wasn't the time to admire it.

He pinched the space of skin between his brows as though he had been frowning so hard for so long at my befuddled manner it hurt, "You only just realised that?!" He exploded, forgetting to be quiet, "Two beams just like the energy rays the Aiy-Aiy attacked with came from both your eyes"

"I had my eyes shut when the light got too bright!" I yelled back. My answer was a roar that whilst startling came from neither of us. I paled and grabbed the front of his shirt, whimpering, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry.." I let go before he could do something drastic to increase the personal space between us.

He massaged under his ear, it's seemed to be a nervous habit for him when he was feeling stressed, "That sounded like a Golem or another earth type. Come on, we can heal at a safer spot" he jogged in the direction opposite to the source of the roar which luckily was also the route deeper into the tunnel maze and I hoped the caved in section would halt the monsters progress enough for us to make our escape. No sense wondering how we were going to get back out yet until the time came or else I'd be useless with panic.

I alternated between sprinting and using the build-up to launch myself forwards and glide a few extra inches, enjoying the seconds of hovering. The rhythm of my shoes kept pace with my heartbeat as I followed him several minutes away until he decided it was alright to stop. As he leaned against the stone wall waiting for me to catch my breath I noticed it looked like his Stamina hadn't flagged at all. Just how strong was he?! In my haste I'd left the Items I'd been rewarded with for defeating the Aiy-Aiy but at least I'd automatically gained the EXP. Eager to not slow him down I flashed him a thumbs up when I could continue and after applying Potions we ran again, Rin cast a Repel and it kept anything lurking at bay.

I skidded to a halt when I noticed three piles of bones I had just floated by, "Huh?" Something shined between the ivory pieces that could have been a weapon so I hunkered down to inspect it. My hand stretched out as the dragon looked behind to check I was still following and he shouted at me not to touch them as my claw grazed one. I rolled my eyes at him, why would I want to touch the smelly old things? I just wanted whatever was underneath them. The bones began to glow and I snatched my hand back, "Eek!" I scuttled away like an inelegant crab.

The slate eyed man drew Catastrophe as the bones began to float up and rearrange into three separate torsos, more bones rearranged themselves with invisible hands to become arms and legs. I sprang up and ran behind him as the skulls eerily lifted themselves up by the unseen force and the empty eye sockets burned red as they sat atop the bones, "You never listen.." He scolded and I gave a pitiful sniffle.

The three skeletons woke up and immediately grabbed the weapons at their feet, the information bar warned us these were two LVL 21 Skeleton Swordsman and one LVL 22 Skeleton Archer. The latter shot two arrows in fluid succession and Rin deflected them aside with a swing of his axe, the other two rattled closer so they could get in sword range. He took them in advancing and took it all in with one cool assessing glance before giving an aggrieved sigh, "Dark types like you..There's nothing else for it.." He muttered before sheathing his axe.

"W-what are you doing?" I gasped as he was now unprotected.

He nodded at me over his shoulder and the barest hint of a smile curled his mouth, "Cover me!" He instructed before jumping up high. My mouth hung open further as blue fire sprouted from his lower back like a stream behind him, solidifying and forming into a scaly tail that thinned towards the blunt end, he balanced upon the dexterous tip and was now so high his head almost grazed the tunnel ceiling.

"How?!" I yelled back up at him as he cupped his hands around his mouth, his chest expanded as he took in a deep breath. The Skeleton Archer shot an arrow towards him and I threw Star Piercer hoping it would fly true - I bit my lip and the aim was good enough that it collided with the arrow and sent it splintering away. But now I was also without a weapon with low MP from the last battle against the Aiy-Aiy and the Skeleton Swordsman were steps away from Rin's tail, and a handful more away from me.

I looked back up at Rin just as the first of the flames began to jettison with the force of a cannonball from his mouth and continue in an unending stream that blistered everything to ash at his feet. They lit the tunnel with a blue light which was blinding to look at directly. Even though I was behind him I still caught some of the force and skittered backwards, pinioning my wings down against my spine to keep myself anchored as the air warmed and then turned so heated it shimmered. I knew the monsters would be gone and sure enough when I looked up my partner was back in his human Avatar and scooping up the bounty he received.

"Wow.." I complimented dumbly and scrambled to my feet as he sent me an easy grin. He stood back up and scrolled through his Inventory for the new Items to check each listing, I took the moment to survey him. He looked different when he smiled, the exotic markings under his impassive eyes seemed less harsher. When he was frowning he looked fearsome but this way he seemed almost approachable. Stop thinking like that! I fought down the urge to slap myself and contented myself with shaking my head instead. He was still a complete stranger to me and this was only the second day we had spent together. But that was the second time he had smiled and he seemed to be warming up to me, just a little.

His smiled widened as if he could sense my thoughts, "Here" A invitation bar popped up on my end from him with some of the loot. He gestured for me to take it.

I curiously pressed accept and scrolled through the new Items he had sent me, stopping when I saw a blue potion icon that hadn't been there earlier, "An MP restoring Potion? But they're much more expensive than HP ones right?" My finger quivered above the button to send it back to him, "Why don't you apply it?"

He waved his hand, "I don't need it, believe me, and if you don't you'll be too tired for the Dungeon Boss" I still hesitated, "Use it" he steeled his tone a little and I complied, instantly feeling a little better. It was a different sort of healing to having my HP bar filled but it felt good nonetheless.

He drank a Potion and grimaced wiping his lips as I did the same. Strength returned to me as easy as that - if only these were available in the real world! The unexpected thought hit me like a sucker-punch to the gut. I threw the bottle onto the ground and its duration expired in a shatter of rising sparks. Bitterness filled me that had nothing to do with how the Potion tasted. The idle comment had given rise to the unpleasant remembrance that whilst this body felt healthy and whole my real one was wasting away. We were halfway through the second day already!

Rin had noticed my twitching wings and perked his head askance, "What's up?"

I forced them to keep still, but then my tail started swatting with agitation. I felt like if I released my hold of control over them all three appendages would start thrashing with frustration, "Nothing" I bit out clenching my teeth with effort, "Come on" I stamped past him and for the first time he took up the rear.

I yanked Star Piercer from the hole it had made in the wall as I stomped by and looped it back onto my waist with the cord on my rune belt, it really was much easier and quicker to have it on my person rather than stowed in my inventory. The increasing strength of the monsters we had fought told me we were getting closer to the end of the tunnel and after a few minutes of silent pacing my instincts were proven correct, abruptly it ended with a smooth wall of solid stone with a tight seam splitting it down the middle. It rose from the floor and smoothly into the ceiling as if nature had somehow warped it that way, but the pale green light that issued from behind the crack as it began to creak apart was magical. The doors opened slowly like a weary hand was pressing it from the other side, but nothing was waiting for us when they yawned fully wide.

"Let me go first" he instructed with a grim set to his mouth, as we had resumed exploring his earlier warmth with me after fighting the Skeleton Swordsmen and Archer had cooled for the icy mask he wore. I nodded without a word all too happy to allow him to take the lead. As he drew Catastrophe I pulled the dagger back into my palm again, he walked inside with the axe held in front of him between both hands and I crept in behind him striking a much less imposing figure.

As soon as my feet touched the inside of the circular cavern the doors slammed shut much quicker than they had drawn apart, I jumped and draw in my breath to scream but the dragon grabbed my wrist in one hand and smothered the noise with his other. In the darkness I felt his chest against my shoulder blades as he pressed me close to him, slowly my eyes adjusted and I made out the form of torches in brackets on the curved walls. A moment after I acknowledged their existence they blazed up with fire the same colour as the lime tinted light from earlier and something gave a reptilian hiss.

The dark haired man swooped to pick up his axe from the spot he had set it down to stifle me and positioned himself north of me all in one smooth action. The hiss came again, sounding louder and closer but the direction of it no more identifiable than before; the sensitive hairs on the nape of my neck rose. Bosses often had lesser minions to distract and gradually whittle away the HP of attacking Players so I craned my neck, aware they could attack from any angle.

A very slight gust flitted across my neck. It was warm and short, like a breath. It came again and realising it was something breathing I span around, a monster staring straight at us hung from the wall closest to me. It was the most terrifying creature that I had seen yet. I felt the primal urge to run, the primitive instinct to put as much distance between me and this creature as possible. I prepared myself to scream and Rin turned as I drew the breath for it.

The monster agilely leapt from the wall towards us with its thin limbs extended, instead of claws or paws it had vicious scythes at the end of each arm. My partner deflected one deadly blow with his axe and when I saw the other coming up on his unprotected side I swooped under his elbow to upper-cut upwards - barely parrying the second, "Uh!" I squealed as I felt the force of the muscles behind the thrust, I didn't know if he would have been able to guard against it quick enough whilst holding off the other scythe. Both of our HP bars cut down by a quarter each.

The creature let out an inhuman screech from its canine shaped head at such a high frequency my ears and vision buzzed as it skittered away. It had a spindly almost humanistic form except its elongated legs and arms bent backwards so it sprang like a praying mantis, it's skin was pure silver and reflected the putrescent light of the torches. An information bar appeared with the words Valgerr the Defiler and the activation of a boss battle, the monster had two HP bars and was LVL 30.

The monster gouged a hook into the wall and then after slicing in the other hoisted itself aloft like a mountain climber using a picket-axe. I noticed the cavern was cross-hatched with old scythe scores showing how quickly and diversely could move around, it probably kept the hooks honed by sharpening them by the indication of some different scrape marks. Valgerr now hung from the ceiling like an ape before piercing its way towards us with unearthly haste, I sprang back using my tail for balance.

The slate eyed man pushed me further behind him and transferred Catastrophe to one hand, I kept my dagger at eye-level as I looked over it towards the oncoming creature. My partner morphed his free hand into a claw and began firing bright blue volleys of flame from it towards Valgerr, it dodged most of them with quick-silver speed. Then a torrent hit it in the chest and one scythe came free from the ceiling to slap the fire down on its torso, it's large pear shaped eyes were utterly black and bulged as it screamed at us.

"I-I think you made it angry.." I whispered gulping. Keeping it as far away from us as we possibly could from those lethal hooks with long-range attacks was evidently the best tactic, so with that in mind I awakened the natural Succubus skill I had used once yesterday in Olmvale against the female PK. Sheathing Star Piercer I stretched out my hands "Blood Drain!" The shadows shifted and gathered around me in a dark aura, the air shimmered as invisible appendages similar to snakes or fanged leeches extended from my body. Some slithered across the floor and others hovered like smoke - I bit down on my tongue with concentration as they drifted by Rin and luckily left him unharmed.

Letting out a sigh of relief I watched as the other member of our party kept Valgerr occupied with streaks, balls and a variety of other shapes of fire. The creature flinched when the first arm grabbed its ankle but after looking down and seeing nothing it twitched its back-paw and continued blocking the flames, when another two locked around its torso and a third choked its neck and began draining its life the creature finally began for take notice and struggled.

With a snarl of rage it kept one scythe in the ceiling and used the other to wildly strike - each blow that cut the vectors hurt as if it had been a part of my own body, but my health was just as quickly replenished from the physical contact the Blood Drain had with the monster. It's attempts to free itself should have weakened as I sapped its energy but it only became more frantic, I gasped as it tore through the last one entirely and leapt over towards us with both hooks extended. It was so fast it looked like a blur of mercury.

With one HP bar left it changed attack pattern and continued with an unrelenting fury, however I slowly realised we were driving it back instead of being pushed back in the face of such power. It was now sticking to one corner of the cavern and seemed reluctant to leave it other than to strike outwards whenever we ventured close, "We've almost finished it, just a little longer!" Rin snarled. The next assault sliced out HP down to half and the bar turned amber.

It crouched down low and scythed out the hooks widely, almost as if it were trying hard to hide something behind its legs..I bent and peered at the spot between its haunches until I saw the outline of a knee high wooden box, it was decorated ornately with gold on the lid and hinges. A treasure chest! Realising I'd noticed it, Valgerr let out a metallic hiss, it's long shining tongue was spotted with yellow.

"It's guarding a treasure chest!" I enlightened him, I waved my arms frantically to keep the monsters attention as he stopped firing fire to look for himself, it's lips peeled back to smile needles as it watched me. I retracted my wings so they wouldn't get in the way of the scythes.

"Whoever gets to it first keeps it" he immediately decided with the same competitive authority he'd displayed fighting me at Goemon Quarry yesterday. I had to keep reminding myself it was only yesterday as so much had happened since then, more adventure then I'd had in months packed into the space of a few hours.

Valgerr roar-shrieked like the squeal of bad microphone feedback and it's powerful hooks cut through the air as he stepped closer, "If we get to it.." I corrected him forlornly. The monster crouched lower over the chest and was now hugging it with both claws, it's fanged head bent low.

He clenched his fist and I saw his hands had become human again, "It's weak to my element.." He confessed through gritted teeth then bowed his head, "But I'm almost out of MP" he confessed. He swung out Catastrophe as the creature sensed his weakness and dared to flash a scythe out again.

"Oh no!" I moaned feeling the guilt of taking the MP potion earlier. I should have refused it and forced him to drink it, he was a much better fighter than me! As he used his axe with a force that was slowly becoming less accurate I saw he was tiring and in a panic checked my Inventory. There had be something I could use or gift to him which would help us! A quick scroll provided nothing and I was sure if Rin had anything he would have used it.

Frantically I looked around the room to see if there were any crates that might have weapons inside, I didn't want to use my special skill unless it was the last option because who knew what random magical destruction could potentially happen as a result. My eyes widened as they flickered over the lit torches on the wall and back again when I remembered how my partner had eaten the flames of the fire sentinel earlier. I ran over and with little difficulty pried one off before sprinting back, "H-here" I panted holding it out, "I checked. It's just spell-fire to keep the room lit"

He looked sideways for a split-second to see what I was offering him and Valgerr leapt up with a hook extended, my eyes bulged with mute horror but the dragon ducked his head to avoid scythe at the last moment. With his head down he stuck his face directly into the fire and began greedily biting at them, I saw the glint of his eyes as his fangs snapped widely and in a moment the torch was just a piece of wood dipped in oiled rags. The monster struck again with its other hook and I gasped as Rin used a claw to hold it back, "Practical but weak magic.." He snarled as if speaking was difficult.

Blue fire brighter than the remaining torches blazed into life from beneath his clothes, his skin became rough with scales and the hair at the base of his skull jutted outwards like sharp spikes. I saw at the tips his ears had become as pointed as his fangs and he cracked his jaw open to let out a blood-curdling howl that had Valgerr pressing its ears flat against its skull like a beaten puppy.

He rose back up and thrust the monster aside as if it weighed he'd nothing before dragging the back of his claw across his mouth, "Thanks for the meal" he growled and I remembered after the fight with the Rat King and Queen when he got that the alien look of unfamiliarity. He had stared at me like a venomous snake assesses a mouse that will become its next kill. I shivered, would that happen again?

Evidently the stronger enemy was the most pressing concern to deal with as he strode over to Valgerr and picked it up with one claw by the head, the monster squealed with pain and lashed out but the hooks flinched back away from the flames had poured from him, fire so bright it hurt my eyes after the cavernous darkness. Rin held the creature aloft and bashed it repeatedly into the wall until it disappeared, sparks floated from his fingers like wishes then also vanished.

He span around and I took in the way his shirt was torn and exposed one broad slope of scaled shoulder, the flames that erupted even from the tips of his ears and fangs and from the corners of his eyes that looked at me without really seeing. He took a lurching step forwards and I flinched back, his chest heaved heavily as if he found breathing difficult and a claw came up to his chest as he collapsed.


	20. Chapter 20

Ohayo!

I thought I'd take a moment to explain the inspiration for Worlds of Angelcestra and the characters inside, please read on if you're interested as I promise it won't take long!

Obviously the main inspiration is Sword Art Online. I currently have the available seasons on DVD and a few months ago I read the manga but whilst writing this I didn't have an Internet connection - so I couldn't do the background research I usually do on the official manga and anime before writing a fanfic. So, because I couldn't do an accurate representation I decided to set the VRMMORPG in a new game: Worlds of Angelcestra also known as WOA. Having an entirely new VRMMORPG gave me more freedom with creating monsters, different species, armours, what Items were available, the map..petty much everything you can think of.

The main character is Hikari, a published beta-tester who writes walk-through columns for Go!Gamer - a popular rival to gaming magazine MMO Now. Because of her career I make a lot of references to other popular anime and games throughout the fanfic because it is from her POV and she is a fan of them. Rationalising her fears and connecting them to her favourite hobbies is Hikari's way of coping with being trapped inside WOA.

Despite her previous experience once she realises she will die IRL if she dies inside WOA she becomes clumsy with fear and often her panic leads her to make mistakes. Only time will tell if she will be brave enough to overcome this character flaw. Regardless of the threat hanging over her Hikari feels more comfortable in VRMMORPG's than she does IRL and her personality changes to reflect this. Her WOA personality when irritated by Rin is based on the anger of Erza from Fairytail, her level-headedness and quick-thinking in battle is based from Asuna from SAO, her clumsiness is based on Lucy also from Fairytail. Her shy, hesitant IRL personality is more like Hinata from Naruto. Her power is based on the Pokemon move Mirror Move which makes the user mimic the attack it's foe last used.

Rin is the secondary character. His physical appearance is loosely based on Rin from Ao No Exorcist and Grey the Ice Wizard from Fairytail, with the tribal tattoos added. His dragon powers are based on Natsu from Fairytail with some minor differences, the blue flames are also inspired by Ao No Exorcist. His guarded personality is based on Kai's of the BladeBreakers from Beyblade - but if you're imagining harm no, the facial tattoos aren't similar. His later personality is more like Grey's from Fairytail, serious but prone to arguments without taking off his shirt.

Fairytail was also a big influence when writing this fanfic for its different magic abilities and powers. Other inspiration came from other well-known and less popular games that came from a range of platforms, PC, Playstation, Microsoft XBox, Apple iPad and Nintendo to name a few, some of them are mentioned in the fanfic.

That's all for now, I can't say more without giving away too much of the oncoming story! Let's just say that next time there will be a lot more characters to explain! I hope you enjoyed reading!

Chu~


	21. Chapter 21

When he hit the floor in his human Avatar I ran over cloaking my Succubus form as I moved, by the time I reached his side and knelt down I could grip his declawed hand with fingers that didn't have talons. He had landed on his back with both arms beside him and his face looked peaceful in its repose with the gentle rise and fall of his front I guessed he was asleep. Before I realised what I was doing I reached out to stroke his hair away from his eyes and the silky texture of the soft black stands shocked me into yanking my hand back.

For the first time, I realised how hard he pushed himself. He acted so strong and confident like nothing bothered him but I'd seen his facade crack for just a second today in the tent at Home with the sick children of the overlooked species. He cracked open one eye and I flinched backwards feeling my cheeks heat up. He had looked unconscious!

He took in my red face and recalling the touch on his forehead smiled a little, "You might not be such a drag to have along after all" he mumbled tiredly before truly falling asleep.

I'm not sure how long I sat there waiting for Rin to wake up in that stone room with the sickly glow of the spell-fire torches, but I was pretty sure it stretched on for a few hours. After the initial panic simmered down and I became less wary of him the longer he slept, I exhausted myself wondering what the reason behind my party members strange episode had been earlier. I hadn't been mistaken, right? He had stared at me but it was as though a different person was looking out at me through his eyes..a deadlier man who wouldn't be safe to partner up with. This wasn't the first time he had lost control like this in a fight, could it be possible the next person he would hurt would not be himself - but me?

Deciding for now questioning such mysteries wouldn't help my current stress levels I busied myself with the usual task of sorting through the amassed data I had collected in my head over the last two days, which helped me come to terms with it a little. I was still a long way away from making any sort of plan, but the future didn't seem quite as bleak as it had yesterday. Despite his pendulum mood-swings I would have to do everything I could to ensure the dragon definitely had to stick around until I was sting enough to take care of myself! I had no fantasies that I could survive alone at my current LVL.

My shoulders heaved with a sigh as I gave a long stretch, I was probably just experiencing some after-euphoria because a few hours earlier was the closest as I'd ever come to a near-death experience, and I'd somehow survived. My eyes roved the same stone walls that they had for what seemed like a age and took in the same amount of cracks and cobwebs that they had earlier, although maybe one of the spiders had moved a little. They settled on my sleeping partner, the only thing in the room aside from the treasure chest that deserved my attention.

I had steadfastly been avoiding looking at him or the box but now boredom and curiosity were itching at me, making it more difficult. I comforted myself and bargained that I would only glance at one object of my desire, and only for a few seconds. He was still much in the same position as earlier except one hand had risen up to pillow his head - when he had moved it I jumped thinking the scraping noise was a monster reviving. His wide, colourless lips were gently parted and although he didn't snore a glinting strand of magma ran down his chin like drool. Without his brow creased into a frown he looked years younger and I caught a snatch of the teenage hottie he had been beneath handsome man he was now..maybe he even looked a little cute.

It was unlikely that his Avatar looked the same as him IRL, I know most people took advantage of being a complete stranger, but if it did I was sure he was popular with the ladies. Even with his irritating know-it-all personality if you could overlook it; I bet they never tripped up or got in his way! With an aggravated murmur I chided myself when I realised I was feeling jealous. I had to stop thinking like that, I didn't even know the guy or his real name!

"Mm" Rin mumbled sleepily and swung upright, his eyes creaked open. Unlike myself who stumbled around blearily every morning until I banged my head or tripped over some mess his mind cleared immediately. I watched his eyes become guarded and then clear as his head swung around and he sought me, "Uh.." He coughed and all traces of the gentle man he became when he slept vanished, "Sorry. I must have been out for a while"

I gave a cautious smile and twisted my hands in my lap, "That's alright, you must have tired yourself out by staying up all last night" I noticed his eyes fix on my fingers, nervously wrestling together like a nest of snakes. The slate orbs narrowed a little, so I fought to keep my anxious grip still.

"That wasn't my fault" he retorted and rolled up with surprising fluidity given the grave state he'd been in earlier. He gave a long yawn and a stretch as I prepared myself to move on much less elegantly.

"Hey!" I squawked with indignation as he checked the durability of Catastrophe before setting the huge axe back onto his back I followed him towards to the treasure chest and bent over as he squatted down in of it, "I didn't peek" I told him as he reached out to touch the lock, the jewelled lid flung wide with a golden light. Inside was a modest amount of Peri, some potions and a pair of leather goggles with lenses of green smoked glass, "Hmm? A pair of glasses? I wonder what they do"

He inspected the contents further but didn't take them, "Not spectacles. Goggles"

I narrowed my eyes at him and he smiled. He had to be so know it all specific about every little thing! It irked me how openly he displayed his enjoyment for always being right, "Well you take them" I recalled our earlier agreement, "You definitely had the last kill strike" As the recent memory rose up I had to strive to keep myself from shivering. I didn't want to offend him, or maybe not show weakness - like how against bears keeping a strong facade was enough to placate them into not attacking.

He inclined his chin and accepted all the items, then gifted me half of the Peri, "It was your idea to restore my MP with the torch-fire," he explained with an even tone I knew I couldn't deny. I accepted it, because after two days of being with this man I knew he always got his own way, "My inventory says the goggles protect me from sand-storms," he jerked his head for me to follow, "Come on"

We spent the next few hours in what I dubbed 'walking limbo' whilst steadily plodding behind Rin in the semi-shadows back the way we had come. Exhausted, even after the Potions I had drank to replenish my HP, I used my human Avatar and stumbled along blearily without the aid of the Succubus enhanced vision in darkness. The dragon never let me take the lead and when I somewhat tiredly protested it he frowned at me. It irked me to lag behind, but I sensed this was some sort of test. If I pushed too hard, he'd refuse, just to put me in my place. And so, with unaccustomed patience, I waited. A couple of times, I thought I caught him glancing my way, but he always strove ahead with brisk footsteps, leaving me fuming and irritably jogging to keep up.

My footsteps fell into a lazy pattern. Our conversation followed a predictable path. He'd ask about my progress in other games we'd both plays, I report my developments, he would make some condescending comment, and the conversation would be over. Barely five minutes, but felt much longer and left me feeling deflated. He seemed crankier than usual, like he had a hangover. Had I imaged the look of scholarly calm upon his face as he slept?

Finally we made it back out of the tunnel and saw that evening was falling, Rin's eyes searched the stars with a disapproving look before he rolled his shoulders and sighed, "We'll have to start on Trulus tomorrow-" he continued when I opened my mouth to protest, "Desert temperatures cools at night so we'll need to kill some monsters to make pelts with or else we'll freeze when the sun falls"

I exhaled and nodded, my shoulders falling with the movement so my hair slid glossily over my collarbones and rose in gentle ribbons over my breasts, "Alright. Well, at least you got the goggles" I tried to make positive of the situation, "Should we do that now?"

He shook his head, "We'll find some on the way, for now we should find a safe area to spend the night in" I nodded in agreement again and we continued walking, but now surrounded by trees again. At first they were a pleasant change from the walls of barren rock, but the threat of a monster being just around a dark corner had now changed for one being hidden under a stump or lurking in a bush.

I kept recalling the earlier attacks and the wolves that had chased me when Rin and I had selected parties. Obsessively, I peered into the woods on either side for signs that anything was watching me. Of course, there was nothing to see, but acre upon acre of forest and the bones of tree branches trembling in the wind. I wondered what Angelcestra head in store ahead for me. Would there be lakes of fire and oceans of ice, volcanoes exploding with thunder and lightning? Pits of swirling vortexes connecting various dungeons? Would I survive?

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine a happier place—anywhere but here, doing anything but wasting my life pretending to live in a world that wants me dead. Trapped. The story of my new life. Trapped in this VRMMORPG, trapped in my body, trapped in this false world. Trapped in limbo with no escape in sight. Clearly it's impossible. I am anything but powerful and trying to act as if I am is nothing more than a masochistic exercise in futility. But despite everything I'm feeling at this moment, it's the helplessness that bothered me the most. Not having control over my own life. Always being at the mercy of others with powers greater than mine. The threat of Momoga hanging over me.

I abruptly stopped walking and sat down on a tree stump as a surge of fear floods through me, I bit down on my lower lip trying to contain the shivers that rippled across my skin. I had to sit on my hands so as not to uproot the massive stump and heave it into the pile of rocks behind me…only because I didn't want to have to sit on the ground.

"Huh, what's wrong?" Rin asked, and his dark grey eyes caught the dying light as he came over and crouched down to peer into my face. IRL people tended to look off to the side when speaking to me, or just glance for a nanosecond before averting their gaze. Maybe eyes really are the windows to the soul, and they didn't want to see how pitiful mine was.

I shook my head and bit down on my lip harder, enough that it splits and the tiniest slither of my HP bar vanishes. I'm sure that I can't force the words out, because as scared as I am of this world I'm even more frightened of him knowing that - surely he would leave if he figured out what a coward I was. The negative thoughts began to swirl around my mind and I brought up my hands to clamp them into my temples, "Mmf" I squeaked the tiniest exhale of air.

"Do you feel sick?" His brow arched worriedly.

I couldn't reply couldn't open my mouth to speak because who knew what would come out. I was such a burden to him already - he always put his life in danger to save mine..what if next time we got attacked he gets hurt fatally? I couldn't imagine anybody stronger than him, anyone more determined to beat the VRMMORPG. I couldn't ask him to risk his life to save mine, especially when he could save everybody else's if I wasn't weighing him down.

He sat down cross-legged on the grass inches away from my knees with a very patient look on his face and closed his eyes, waiting for me to be ready. It took a few minutes for the palpitations of my heart to stop and my eyes still stung with the threat of tears, but my voice threaded out weakly, "It's just this..all of this.."

We were both quiet for a long time, before he spoke, "We're going to do just fine Hikari, I promise" His voice is soft, and I'm taken aback by the way he said it. Almost intimately, as if we're already old friends. Many people I've known for years don't talk to me with the effortless ease this pendulum man does.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," I mumbled, my mouth dry. His eyes locked on mine, and for a split second he saw right through me; his focused attention makes me feel as if I'm standing alone on a stage under a dozen bright spotlights, vulnerable and exposed. I gulped and my heart beat faster.

"We both will" he repeated firmly and casually brushed his blue-ebony hair away from his face. My pulse inexplicably sped up more. The female Players would swarm to him like horny bees to a very sexy honey pot.

When I feel like someone just whacked me in the gut with a troll-hammer I realise this thought disturbs me. I don't want Rin to party with anyone else, I want him to stay with me as selfish as the request is. So that means getting up off this dead tree and becoming strong enough to help him, not hinder! Newly rejuvenated I hopped up and he smoothly rose, "You're right!"

He nodded, "I know" he gave me one of the smiles that were slowly coming more commonly from him, a twinkle in his slate eyes. I like his eyes. Not just because of their grey colour, but because they aren't afraid of mine. We started walking again looking for a decent place to settle down for the dark hours, "Besides, I like camping. I've lived in big cities my whole life. It's nice out here. Peaceful…quiet. You can hear yourself think" he explained nonchalantly.

I scrunch my face. Why does he say that like it's a good thing? I'd do anything not to hear the thoughts that roam through my head. Especially lately, being so psychotically obsessed with suicidal awareness of how feeble I was. Then my mouth dropped open as his words hit me - Rin had just freely volunteered personal information about his life in the real world! I stared at his retreating back and with my jaw hanging. Instead of giving him a reply that will really convince him I'm a complete freak job, I responded gently, "Thanks, Rin.." I wish I hadn't. It sounds even cheesier out loud than in my mind.

"Last time, I mean it: Don't call me that" He let out an aggrieved sigh, but it seemed a little theatrical - as if the act were all for show and he didn't really mind. As he paced on I kept my head down to avoid the low-hanging tree branches, my boredom growing steadily with each beat of my feet.

We walked through acres of lush foliage paint the hillsides vibrant green and gold and came across the first monster we had seen since clearing the dungeon, a dog-feline combination. It approached so stealthily neither of us had sensed it despite its huge yellow body. It's forepaws and hind quarters were patterned with black zig-zag stripes which made it appear even more dangerous, like the lines of warning tape used to keep civilians away from scenes of a crime.

"What element type is that?!" I asked as I drew Star Piercer and took up a stance south-east to where he stood as he swung Catastrophe free. It opened its whiskered mouth and sparks appeared as if in silent answer to my question.

"Move!" He shouted, so I did. We both flung ourselves backwards onto the floor and I watched the sky above turn thick with a haze of yellow thunder. The attack evaporated and we sprang back upright to prepare for the next beam, the monster gave a roar and its single HP bar appeared along with the information of Raik-Lyon and its level: LVL 18.

"It's not as strong as the dungeon monsters" I called over to my partner, my eyes detailing the deep imprints the beast left behind as it pawed like a anxious stallion at the ground.

Its mane bristled with static and the long plume of tail twitched in hunting anticipation, it's lips peeled back into another ferocious yowl and I took a step backwards. The dragon shook his head ever so slightly and spoke without taking his eyes off it, "You take this one"

My jaw dropped open as he sheathed his axe and nimbly leapt up into the lowest branches of a tree, "What?!" I screamed before being forced to do an odd sort of cartwheel to avoid a jettison of sparks the Raik-Lyon sent my way. Obviously it had decided to go for the nearest of us now Rin had made himself harder to reach, and I seemed the weaker prey.

The dark haired man plucked a leaf from fork of the tree he comfortably sat in and began to tear it up between his fingers, "You need the EXP more than me" he rose his slate eyes from his activity and smirked. My jaw clamped shut as predictable surging of anger made my body twitch and shake.

I silence, I held Star Piercer steady in wait for the next attack and dropped my concealment. As my leathery wings unfolded and gave a leisurely stretch the Raik-Lyon cocked its head to the side to assess how it's next meal now appeared to be much stronger. It rose up its head and gave a long howl which seemed to whip up a brisk wind and darken the sky, I glanced up to see black clouds had covered the heavens and rain pelted me in the eye.

"Ow!" I cursed rubbing the heel of my hand into the socket to relieve the stinging. Seconds later I sprang aside as it took advantage of my distraction and sent down three large bolts of thunder from the gloomy darkness above. My lunge avoided two but the third scored a fist sized hole at the top crook of my wing, "Ahh!"

"Real smooth" the dragon commented sardonically which made me grit my teeth even more. Some part of me recognised he was pushing me because I needed the help to grow, even if he managed it by criticising and working me up into a temper. The monster sent another two blinding rays of lightening down which I jumped up and spiralled through the air to miss before landing again.

I pulled back my arm and threw Star Piercer hoping my aim would be accurate enough and curled my fist in triumph when it hit the beast in the back leg, it yowled in pain and fury and the storm above rumbled in response. Suddenly I was surrounded by tiny streaks of electricity which snaked around and above me to form a sizzling cage, I drew my wings tighter instinctively as the tips began to singe, "Rin!" I panicked.

The leaves of the tree he sat in whirled and some ripped free span away with the force of the gale the Raik-Lyon had summoned, but he seemed level-headed and for some reason that calmed me down too, "Calm down and think your next move through" he shouted above the breeze, "It's weakened, and you have more MP.." The elements snatched the rest of his words way but I understood his meaning.

I took a few cleansing breaths and tried not to flinch as it seemed the cage grew smaller, the creature was stealthily stalking towards me now with the slow but deadly gait of a predator that assumes it has all the time in the world.

I fixated my eyes upon a spot of shade beneath the tree and scrunched my eyes up praying I would teleport there and not miles away. My lips parted as pure, blistering energy filled me the instant I reached to the Source, "Shadow walk!" I felt the odd feeling of being stretched and sucked down a narrow tube again, and opened my eyes again when I felt breeze on my body. As soon as I reappeared I stretched out my wings and hopped up to float, held aloft furiously beating my wings against the fierce wind, "Blood Drain" I leeched more of natures magic from the Source.

The Raik-Lyon gave a wearying rumble in its throat as the invisible arrows stretched outwards from my body to strike into its throat, back and paws. It's back leg crumpled as one translucent arm wrapped around its stomach and seconds later it collapsed, it's sides heaving weakly. I landed and slowly crept closer, keeping a fair distance between me and the monster. With little HP left it could attempt a last strike which with desperation could often be the most dangerous. It gave a weak mewl and shattered into sparks.

I walked over to the spot it had disappeared upon and picked up Star Piercer, turning the dagger this way and that so it caught the light as the sky began to clear. Although the storm had passed, the sky was still much darker than it had been earlier and the setting sun was a bleeding wound to the west. After sheathing it I collected the Peri and other items. Scanning my inventory and saw I had gained an accessory that when worn gave me an added 20 resistance against the electric element.

As Rin jumped down from the tree and paced over I equipped it rose my hand to feel the small thunder bolt shaped clip nestled in my hair. I should have been happy but instead I felt strangely sad, I'd taken no pleasure in defeating the monster even though it would have killed me. As if the dragon sense my thoughts he didn't make a snide remark on how long it had taken me to defeat the creature or anything like that, "Here" he handed me a potion.

"Thanks" I took it from him, thinking about how he was being cruel to be kind and all that, forcing me into fighting because if I didn't I would remain weak and maybe trapped in this VRMMORPG until I died. I thought about holding onto his wrist - but didn't, "Really" I added instead, trying to be tactful.

His mouth quirked in a funny way as if he couldn't figure out wether or not he should frown or smile, and his arm twitched, "No problem" he muttered gruffly and quickly rose up his hand to pat me on top of my head, "Well done" he mumbled even quieter before briskly striding away.

"Mm!" I squeaked quietly, warmth radiated on the crown of my hair from his brief touch and feeling a little dizzy I quickly applied the Potion. I flapped my hands to cool the heat that had risen to my cheeks and seeing he was still walking away I hastened to follow him. As I neared noticed the tips of his ears were pink; a smile rose along with the blush on my face.


	22. Chapter 22

Rin grunted, his powerful leg muscles pushing and straining as we headed up the hill. The curves here were wickedly treacherous, and he barrelled around them with terrifying agility whilst I stumbled behind wearily.

He stretched out his hand and I automatically took it; his large, warm palm made mine seem cold and tiny. He gave a gentle squeeze as he dragged me up the final climb and every cell in my body woke up on fire. I quickly pulled away.

I knew it was stupid to get all excited over some guy I didn't even know, but I couldn't help it. There was something different about him. The way he spoke to me and looked at me…as if I was any other normal person…as if he actually liked me…as a person…It had felt nice. Really nice. A girl could get used to it, that's for sure. Any girl but me, that is. I glanced up at the star studded sky to avoid looking at him.

The ground levelled beneath me and I saw we had come to a moonlight grove of rippling wheat dappled by shadows. I looked around noting the hoof prints of herbivorous monsters that had loped up here to graze but none were in sight, I saw no tracks with claws or made from boots either. The butter-silver light of the dual moons cast the odd colour over the scene, sparkling in an enchanting way on small stones and blades of grass. It almost looked romantic, the kind of secretive place a couple could hand-feed each other a secret picnic.

"It's nice here.." I mumbled feeling my cheeks flush, then took off my necklace and rune belt to busy myself. It was an excuse to look down so he couldn't see my red face.

He went to snag some clumps of stalks to later make bread with and called over his shoulder, "The higher ground will give us the advantage, nobody will be able to sneak up on us" I gave a long sigh and lay down on the floor, flattening some of the vegetation to make it more of a mattress and less like thousands of prickly knives.

The night here was much blacker than it was in Osaka. With no street lights or neon signs to hold back the night, it shrouded the sky in complete inky darkness aside from the smattering of stars. The double-moon high lit up the constellations of diamonds I didn't recognise although IRL I could have pointed out the belt of Orion, Cancer's claw and the curve of Sagittarius.

It was calming, but also a bit frightening to think that, except for Rin, there was no one around for miles. A shiver passed over me as I realised how truly alone I was. Just myself and him, the darkness, and whatever monster life existed in the forest down below. There came the noises of the dragon settling down himself somewhere behind me, "I'll keep watch" I offered, stifling a yawn immediately afterwards.

"I'll do it, I slept earlier" he offered as I muffled another, twisting to get comfortable. I made a noncommittal noise, but if he didn't mind then I wouldn't turn down the opportunity for a good nights rest when it would be sorely needed for tomorrow.

I took off the coin decorated headdress and lightening bolt hair clip, returning them both to my inventory, "Alright" I began combing my fingers through the wind knotted blonde tresses, which would take time and patience to untangle due to their length, "Wake me up if you want me to take over"

I heard the noise of him sharpening the edge of Catastrophe as I watched the stars gleam and resumed tidying my hair. I began to count the glittering dust above, then the amount of strokes it would take to smooth one heavy tress, anything to keep my mind off the depressing thoughts of being trapped that threatened to overwhelm me whenever I wasn't busy. Striving through the forest and keeping my mind focused on clearing this map to move onto the next part of the game consumed my daily thoughts but when I settled down at night despair crept up for company. I tried to keep away from lingering on the AI children coded to suffer from the Reapers Touch, from the dragon who I wasn't sure I could trust who held my life in his hands, from the shadow wreathed puppeteer who threatened all of us.

Before I could finish my hair I fell into an unsettled sleep that left my Avatar bucking and turning as I mumbled feverishly. I had a dream I was a bedraggled, grey bird, left to starve in a beautiful prison of golden spell-bars. The cage was in a room of such unrivalled finery - I had never seen such riches, how could I imagine silks and treasure I had never laid eyes upon? I had the memory of once singing sweetly but could no longer rouse even a feeble cheep from my beak. The Dark Emperor Momoga would come and pluck off my wilting feathers then force them down my tiny throat.

"Wake up" an even voice made me rouse up quickly, eager to leave the dream even if it meant opening my eyes to this new life I was unwillingly living. With the sound of his familiar voice I knew that today would be no different than yesterday, and the day before that.

"Breakfast?" I mumbled sleepily. I opened my eyes to see Rin awake and with the watery sheen of a fresh shave upon his chin, he was leant over me and rose an eyebrow. Oh..I was still here. This hadn't been some long, crazy dream as a result of me falling asleep for two days after staying up playing on the laptop. This was reality to me now. Day three.

Realising he was still bent over waiting for me to get up I hurriedly tugged my fingers through my hair and rubbed my eyes, "How about a warm up first?" He asked as I stood. I was too dejected to respond and just heaved my shoulders as a reply, his mouth tensed into a firm slash but he didn't say anything further.

He pressed a trying pace through the dawn, but even when I did fall too far behind, he was easy to find? I streaked through the forest after him —the trees and shrubbery nothing more than a passing haze of green. Together we sprinted through miles of thick forest; so it wouldn't snag on anything I fixed my hair into a bun and speared it with a small twig to hold it in place. We sailed over bushes and cut across any monsters in our path, together, racing as a silent blur. I collected more Peri and we both acquired rough wolf pelts to cut into sleeping bags after two of the grey beasts attacked us.

It's not until we reached the furthest outskirts of the woods that I eased my pace, and gradually transitioned into a walk. No matter how fast or far I ran, I wasn't able to escape the nightmare that continually haunted me. I couldn't outrun the feelings of anger, hopelessness and regret that plagued my mind. I couldn't hide from the grief that ate me up inside.

Rin dragged his hand across his brow and gave me a weary half-smile, I had nod idea how he managed to run so fast and fluidly with that huge axe strapped onto his back, "How's that appetite?" He shielded his eyes against the rising sun.

I blinked, now that he mentioned it there was another kind of appetite gnawing at my stomach. My hands rose to cover my tummy as it gave a loud rumble to make itself known, "I'm so hungry" I wailed.

He laughed. "Alright" he seemed so unlike the unrecognisable demon that had swept up the Valgerr in one claw and repeatedly smashed its skull to pulp and sparks against a cavern wall..much more like the man I was becoming to think of as a friend. Wait, where had that come from?! I was only partying with him to complete this VRMMORPG after all!

He sat down cross-legged and placed Catastrophe on the grass before scanning his inventory. I joined him and knelt down to watch, "You can cook?"

He sent me an obnoxious glance, "Of course. What else do you think I'd do whilst you snore all night?" He selected something and a small brown bag appeared in his palm. Before I could splutter a protest he continued, "Gift me the meat we got from fighting those earth type monsters earlier"

I glared moodily at him, "Here" I scrolled through until I found it and then sent it to him.

He set the bag aside and seconds later received the steaks and unwrapped them from the grease proof paper to balance them upon his knee. "Thanks. I asked one of the AI's cooking at Home camp to tell me how to preserve it"

I gave a low hum and checked my inventory, "The rations they gave us when we left have almost gone"

He nodded towards the bag and used one hand to open the pouch mouth, "Luckily we have a lot of salt" I peered closer and saw indeed it was full with the small white grains, "As long as we have enough fresh water stored, we should make it across Trulus in two weeks" he explained.

My mouth fell open, "Two weeks?!" I groaned closing my eyes in distress. Two whole weeks?! Under the unforgiving heat, walked across miles of sandy wasteland with the only respite being to freeze at night?

He began sprinkling the thick pieces of meat with the salt, rubbing it in firmly with his fingertips. He looked like he had done this many times before, and I wondered if he had retained muscle memory of the job he did IRL. He couldn't have been a soldier, butcher or woodsman hunter - any would fit the way he could slaughter without flinching and had concentrated dexterity even in the smallest of movements, "Make yourself useful and go get some water" he ordered as he realised I was staring.

I rolled my eyes but did as he asked anyway, walking away and through one of the gaps in the thick bushes. Once safe under the cover of trees, I dropped my glamour and eased my wings open, giving a few slow flaps to give them time to strengthen before I used them. This way I could cover more terrain and return quicker once I found a river; I flew along trails, glided over fallen logs and bent my head to avoid low hanging branches. I noticed my sense of direction when I became a Succubus was stellar. My centre of gravity was rooted to everything around me. I moved and it shifted in relation to the direction of north. I knew how far I was from water, a deep cave, or from a high place.

Soon, I heard the tinkling of water and came to a small stream. It was lovely, with craggy rocks and clear, crisp water. I filled our wineskins, a few empty potion bottles and anything else in my inventory that could store water, then drank until I was satisfied, and wiped my mouth on the back of my hand. Something bright and silvery caught my gaze in the glassy water's reflection.

My skin glowed. Slender ear tips, elongated to points, peeked through my wild halo of hair. I took out the twig holding it up and it cascaded down, the gold tips resting slickly across my back and cascading down; some into the water. My arrow topped tail snaked through the air over my shoulder, and my wings rustled. They were grey. Not a stone grey or soft shadows but silvery ash that matched my eyes when I used my special skill Mirror Move.

My mouth opened to gasp and I saw the brilliance of my teeth, sharp and fang-like. The small whimper of sound that escaped sounded like chinking crystal. My eyes, sparkling pools of light, widened. I hesitantly ran a finger over my shapely jaw, and tilted my head slightly to the side. My profile was sleeker, yet softer and more regal. I looked beautiful and I took my own breath away. I was also scary, a demon.

"Hikari?" Rin's voice was smooth and warm. He had appeared on the other side of the streak and waited for me a few paces away, "I got worried, you took a while.." He jumped over the pool and landed on the other side, dislodging a few pebbles that rolled down and plopped into the water. The ripples that fanned out distorted my reflection, breaking the trance I had been enraptured to by my own beauty, "Come on, breakfast is ready" I returned to my human Avatar and ran after him as he walked away.

Later we ate two of the steaks fried stuffed in a baked flour bun and I licked my fingers clean as he displayed the furry cocoon he had sewn together from his wolf hide, "See, the stitches have to go here and are shaped like this" he pointed towards one with his thumb nail and although I could see it was well made I had no idea how I was going to replicate the work myself.

I took out the skin from my inventory and spread it out like parchment in my lap. The fur was warm and a little smelly, and when I ran my hands over it I felt the power of the beast who has worn it course within; its scent cloaking us at night would definitely dissuade some predators from attacking us, "H-how do I...?" I asked reluctantly and he cast his eyes skyward.

"Select craft skills and you should find it in tools under field gear" he drawled as if it were as easy as reciting the alphabet and I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him. I pinched my finger and thumb as he explained and a needle with thread looped inside its eye appeared between them.

I laboured over the wolf hide until I was exhausted and had a sleeping bag almost as good as Rin's, I had designed it based on the ones I had seen in catalogues back home because I didn't have one myself - I'd never been camping, preferring indoor solitude. My fingers were bleeding by this time and I drank a small potion to restore the little HP I had lost from the odious task, "There" I handed it to him for inspection feeling pleased with myself. He turned it over in his hands before picking out one stitch and tearing the whole thing apart, "Hey!" I cried angrily.

He threw it back at me and I rose my hands to catch it before it hit me in the face, it was nothing more than a pile of useless fur again, "Do it again" he told me but his voice didn't seem unkind. I puffed out my cheeks and brought out the threaded needle again, bending back down to repeat the chore. He selected something from his inventory and I gawped as four mangled, hole spotted furs appeared, "Practice makes perfect" he added and I realised these were his earlier attempts.

I couldn't help laughing as I finished my sleeping bag and my giggles quietened by the time I had finished it again. With tired hands and prickled fingers I watched hoping this attempt would suffice as he checked over it again, "Is it okay?" I finally asked when he continued looking at it but didn't say anything.

He nodded and I cheered, we tidied up the site and discarded any items we didn't need to make space for any we would pick up in the desert. I realised that just like the battle with the Raik-Lyon yesterday he was forcing me to do things like this myself so I would grow stronger, there might always come the day when he wouldn't be around to help me. My elation at my craft skill rising dampened with the knowledge of what was to come, and as Rin belted Catastrophe between his shoulder blades again he seemed to sense my change of mood.

We walked silently for the last couple of hours through the last trees that shielded us from the planes of toe blistering sand, until we took our final step out from the cool shade and were abruptly ravaged on all sides by sunshine we would soon find to be unending. It was our first taste of the skin saturating heat that would plague us for the next two weeks, constantly testing our wills and making coherent thought unbearable.

Rin stared across the bed of scorching white sand as if his eyes could already see whatever was on the other side, I blinked. The air felt like it's coming from a blast furnace, and my eyes were so dry the lids were like sandpaper. We took a moment to collect ourselves for the harshest of the elements yet and began our walk through the Unforgiving Sand-Tomb.


	23. Chapter 23

The eighth night was as quiet, cold and uneventful as the last weeks worth had been. I wriggled into my sleeping sack and stretched out my toes to luxuriate in the soft fur, any misgivings I had felt about sleeping covered in wolf pelt were long gone. As I had suspected the smell of the predator kept weaker monsters at bay and it was definitely warmer with it than without.

Yesterday I had taken the shift for the late hour watch so tonight my party partner had the task of keeping a wary eye trained on the vast planes of silver-yellow sand whilst I slept. At night it was as freezing cold as during the day it was blistering hot, as though the intense temperature could only swing to either end of the spectrum; I still wasn't used to it and shivered myself to sleep every night. We couldn't risk lighting a fire in case any strong nocturnal creatures or PK's were attracted by the glow. When either of us stayed awake to keep the other safe we spent the time increasing our skills, and five of mine were now halfway towards being maxed out.

The entire time we crossed Trulus we hadn't met a single other Player. With five hundred of us trapped in here surely we should have come across somebody other than the two PK's in Olmvale, or was this game proving so hard it was defeating everybody? Surely we couldn't be the only two survivors? There were no signs of life anywhere and the air was dead and stale—as if no life had ever existed here. This place felt like death and aside from Rin I was completely alone in the desolate wasteland. We had come across the odd AI who asked us to complete a Quest for him - usually finding an artefact or killing a certain amount of an individual monster. The creatures who attacked us were radically different to those in the forest and ranged between earth and fire types, we faced hovering rune shaped beasts, mummies with green bandages that could poison us with a touch, bandits wearing red head scarves who ambushed us for Items and monsters made entirely from sand.

Even with my protective headdress being constantly under the glaring eye of the sun was gradually chipping away my HP bar so I had to drink a potion every few hours, Rin made quick work of the fire type monsters and ate them to replenish. Due to the goggles he wore and his affinity with the element he fared much better with the heat than I did, and when I lagged behind he handed me a LVL 7 Fire Rune he had found inside a crate. I thanked him and applied it, feeling a little of the suns rays lessen in the vicious tattoo they had been beating into my shoulders.

I stared up at the twinkling stars and made a wish for one to fall on my head to put me out of my misery, then rolled over as my eyes stung with tears. To stifle them I buried my face in the wolf fur, wishing it could block out the world. What would happen tomorrow? Or the day after that? Which day would be the one I died on? Which day will this all be over for me? There is no best case scenario, only differing degrees of horrible. The only question is, how painful with my death me? I can't bear to consider the answer.

I swallowed a sob, the pelt muffling my cries. I hated this so much. Every single second of it. Life was not supposed to be like this. I'm supposed to be in my own little toy filled room I carved out in the real world and made a home for myself in, not half-exist as a pathetic, sniveling nobody held hostage in a VRMMORPG and perpetually tormented by an unseen enemy. The AI children coded to suffer everyday until somebody stopped it, the innocent Players being murdered off by PK's until someone took a stand and Momoga watching over us all from the shadows...the thoughts consumed and crushed me.

"Hikari…" Rin spoke my name so tenderly it woke up the fireflies in my stomach. I looked up, he was crouched by my head staring down at me with such intensity I momentarily forgot to breathe; his dark blue eyes glow under the bright lights of Angelcestra's full moons. He pressed his eyebrows together and sighs. Then he looked away, but not before I see a flash of gentleness in his eyes.

My humiliation at having him witness such a private moment is only slightly tempered by the compassion in his gaze. I propped myself up on my elbows, "W-what?" I stuttered and hated how my voice quivered with emotion to betray me.

He subtly avoids my stare, but there is a guarded change in his tone, "You're crying" he stated in an obvious kind of voice. I couldn't face at him any longer so I turned my eyes back to the black sky, so vast and deep it could swallow me whole. I was so not interested in opening up any suitcases of emotional baggage.

For a long time it was quiet, I wiped my cheeks and struggled with speaking the question that sat on my tongue like a stone and burned in my chest just as heavily. It took a while, but eventually I managed, "..Do you miss it?" I whispered, absently picking at blades of grass beside me; he would know what I was referring to.

He was silent for as long as it had taken me to summon the courage to speak, "Yes" was all he replied, but that was all I needed. I turned my head and narrowed my eyes, trying to read his expression in the darkness. True, there was much about his life IRL I didn't know. Hiding beneath the veils of secrecy, illusion, deception and lies was our way of life in here. He furrowed his brow and gazed out to the desert, "But there are some good things about being trapped here" he added.

I blinked, glad for the darkness as a blush rose to my cheeks. He'd spoken so nonchalantly, but I couldn't help but wonder exactly what about being inside this game he found compelling. Could it be he was happy because we had met because of being caged in here? "Like what?" I hedged.

He shrugged, I let out a loud sigh and shook my head. How could someone who is so cute and so brilliant and talented be so dense? But I was secretly pleased at our predicament too, because at least we were together, "Do you miss it?" He asked me back, instead of telling me what he enjoyed about Angelcestra.

I rolled my shoulders, "Some things.." My voice threaded, "When I think..of our real bodies.." I choked up, unable to continue. Rin was clearly unnerved by this. As much as it bothered him to hear it, he needed to know the truth. It's far better he found out from me than some other way. After almost two weeks our prone bodies would have been found wasting away IRL and probably transported onto life-support, I wondered if the media had covered the news yet.

He abruptly stood up and walked a little distance away. Running his long fingers through his hair, he stared out to the towering dunes that stretched as far as we could see. He seemed to be coming to some kind of decision. I rubbed my hands up and down my upper arms, sitting upright exposed my upper body to the chilling breeze that stirred up grains of sand around us. Just as suddenly he strode away he paced back and set Catastrophe down before squirming into his sleeping sack, rolling right up next to me. To hide my reddening face I lay back down, my body flared up with a heat that rose to match the warmth coming from his body almost pressed up against mine.

I knew my jitters weren't just from being cold, they were also from from being in this unbelievably surreal situation. I can't wrap my head around the fact that here I am, lying wrapped in wolf-skin in the desert, with a man like Rin lying down just a few inches away. Never in a million years would I have imagined my life ending up like this. In a billion years…

I turned my face to his, realising too late that it was mere finger-spans away from mine, "Rin.." I started, trying not to let myself get distracted by the fact that I had an insatiable urge to run my fingers through his thick, dark locks and pull his mouth to mine. Focus, Hikari! Just because he was the only eligible bunch of pixels around didn't mean I should throw myself at him!

As if he could sense my unease he rolled more distance between us, I felt the awareness of his proximity lessen a little, "Get some sleep" he advised in a voice that let me know he was smiling. I felt the movement of him running his hands through his dark hair. It was so cold that our breath made little puffs in the air.

My heart began the thudding it does when he got to close to me. Despite earlier feeling paranoid that he was my only defence against the scary wilderness just beyond the circle of moon-lot sand, now I found I enjoyed this feeling..the one where it seemed like we were the only two ones alive, where no one else existed, and no one else mattered. It was just the two of us, talking, laughing, being. That saccharine emotion stayed with me and warmed my breast so that I quickly fell sound asleep.

"Good morning. Are you going to join the world today?" The request seemed to have come just seconds after I had closed my eyes, so I gave a little groan in reply. Like the last handful and a half of days, as soon as I had woken up and heard the dragons voice I knew I was still trapped in Angelcestra. More than anything I wanted to go back to dream-land and ignore all of this but with consciousness came the awareness I needed to relieve myself, that a rock was digging into my shoulder and if I didn't move soon I would bake alive.

I cracked open one eye and he nodded at me from his stance leant over me, he didn't smile but I'd noticed recently he frowned and rolled his eyes at me a lot less. He could still be sarcastic and pushed me into striving harder than I would have by myself, but as my level hit LVL 40 I begrudgingly accepted I wouldn't have made it this far without his guidance.

Over the last few days I had noticed that rather than the power levels of the monsters being way above mine, we levelled with equal HP and strength now most of the time. Instead of Rin putting himself in harms way to get me out of a dangerous situation, we fought side by side and although he still kept his level hidden from me I didn't feel as inadequate as I once had. Aside from battles with bosses and fire element monsters, he often watched close by as I tackled creatures by myself; my Inventory filled up with treasure Items and Quest artefacts as quickly as my food and water rations vanished.

With this new found confident also came the niggling worry that now I didn't needed protecting Rin might disband our party, without him I'd be forced to partner up with somebody else or attempt to complete the game alone. Blundering through the wilderness with only monsters for company was not how I wanted to spend what could be the final days of my life. With all these thoughts my mind was spinning. Why was he acting so normal? Like everything was fine? Like the insanity of me breaking down last night didn't happen?

"No" I grumbled into the wolfskins. "I'm sick. I'm going to sleep all day." Half of me admired the graceful way he leant toward me; the other half fiercely braced for the inevitable. Usually I flustered over my appearance when I woke up, I hated him seeing me with the drool of a good dream or messy hair of a nightmare - but today I just couldn't be bothered.

I felt so humiliated for breaking down and crying in front of him! My first instinct was to run away. But considering he could easily catch up with me, I gritted my teeth and stood my ground. Might as well get this over with. I needed the time to think. Figure out what I was going to do, what I was going to say when I saw him. I figured he'd want an explanation for yesterday, no doubt. I attempted to read his expression, but the only thing I saw is the easy openness of yesterday.

He clucked disapprovingly and smoothed his dark hair behind slightly pointed ear. "You are not sick, somethings bothering you. Either tell me what it is or get up." I was only slightly mollified by his response. Perhaps he decided to play it cool. But it still doesn't explain why he's not at all confused by my erratic behaviour…

"Please just let me sleep," I begged, sniffling loudly under the blankets.

He planted his hands on his hips and pinioned me with a glare that made me know he wasn't going to grant me any such reprieve, "Do you plan to hide in that for the rest of your life?"

"Yes." I nestled myself in further, turning my face away from his.

I heard the brisk pace of his foot beginning an irritable tap, "And you think that will make you feel better?" I mumbled a noncommittal noise, deciding not to push it. If Rin wanted to pretend everything's fine, so will I. Having him want to be my friend was the closest thing to a miracle I've had; I don't want to blow it now. He sighed. "So be it. But its saddening to think that I helped someone who would quit so easily. You're the strongest person I know, and giving up without a fight isn't like you."

I turned over and removed the sleeping bag from my face to see him gazing down on me with concern. "I don't even know who I am anymore," I say, my voice softer.

His foot stopped tapping and the scathing reply on his lips melted, he knelt down next to my head, "Yes, you do." He retorted as if he knew the inside of my head better than I did, "Instead of focusing on all stuff going wrong for you, why don't you try opening your eyes to the good?" His consoling worlds had the opposite effect of riling me up - what was there to be happy about?!

I bolted up and threw off the wolf skin, my fiery eyes fixing on his slate ones. "What does it even matter what I do? Don't you see? It doesn't matter if I stay in bed or walk through this miserable desert! None of this matters! I don't even exist. Not really. This life…this life…it sucks, it really does. I hate it! I hate everything about everything!" Angry tears spilled down my cheeks.

He leant forward, wrapping his strong arms around me as sobs wracked through my body, his kindness making me feel doubly horrible. I hadn't meant to take my anger out on him. From the moment I met him he's always been the one person I can count on; the one person who's always been there for me. But right now he's also the only target I have for my frustration.

Aside from touching my hand to yank me up or fling himself at me in battle to get me out of the way, the dragon avoided touching me. Having him so close to me now I could admire the tanned muscles and slender navy bands tattooed on his wrists, the tribal arrows under his eyes which had lashes as long as mine. I couldn't help it, the steady boom of his heartbeat was grounding.

"Things aren't always as bleak as they appear to be," he muttered, patting my back, "And you exist..to me" he whispered the last words so quietly into the shell of my ear I almost didn't hear them, but the intimacy of his breath fanning my hair made me blush. His body reacted, scenting my arousal and stiffening as his canines elongated. With a mental growl he forced the violent side of his nature to be silent. He had me had to console me but the warm air was stifled with sand and the beginnings of something more than simple comfort.

Feeling awkward I pulled away from his embrace and flopped back on the floor. He stood back up and scratched the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze. I'd only been awake a few minutes but already my body was totally exhausted and my mind drained. I curled up in the covers again. "Sometimes I get a little loopy and say things I don't mean—" I began but he interrupted.

He bit out tightly, "No, nothing weird. You were just…sorta quiet." He seemed to be trying to talk with his lips clamped shut. He did that cute thing with his mouth where he smiled out of one side and it was enough for me to stop acting so selfish.

I scrambled out the wolf skin and returned it to my inventory. "Oh, okay." How badly I want to believe him, but it seems too good to be true. But maybe, after all the crap I've been through lately, the universe decided to do me this small favour. I scooped my hair up and equipped the headdress, then slid in the clip, "Guess we better get going" I forced some cheer into my tone.

We walked for five more days and it became routine for one of us to watch over the other as they slept, as habitual as the daily onslaught of the suns unrelenting rays and nightly chill that bit into our bones - as a fire-type my partner suffered more when the temperature dropped. I was so hungry I ate the meat of monsters wish the relish I normally only reserved for California roll sushi and dreamed of eating Princess Bubblegum's Candy Kingdom, from the cartoon Adventure Time. Had I ever known a life different from this? The memories of my toasty anime haven with the smells of the cafeteria below was becoming dimmer. The faces of Ru-Shan and Sayura were slipping through my grasping fingers like smoke, the harder I tried the more it seemed I couldn't remember them.

My heart raced uncontrollably as I wiped the perspiration from my brow. Barely able to feel my legs, I forced myself to keep walking. I needed to get out of here. I needed to go somewhere else. But where? Each step is exactly the same as the one before it. Every view and angle of this barren desert of death is exactly the same. Every bush and cactus became the silhouette of an enemy. Miles and miles and miles of flat nothingness, expanding for eternity. We had fought small brown scaled lizards which shot fireballs, rabbit shaped cacti that moved of their own accord and snakes as big as horses. I wish I had a horse to ride right now.

My parched mouth was dry as cotton and my tongue felt like sponge. I couldn't think for all this heat, my brain was clogged with the same sand that shifted under my feet. Star-Piercer felt like a dead weight at my side and my arms were leaden from fighting some scorpions minutes ago which had burrowed trickily to avoid our long-range attacks. I was walking past a peace sign shaped cactus when I noticed part of the one prong had rotted off and the pearly insides looked sweet, licking my lips I stumbled over blearily and raised out my hands to break a piece off...

"Don't drink that!" The dragon yelled as heedless of the spikes biting into my palms I tore chunk off, mouth watering at the shimmering white insides. He ran across and slapped it out from my hand, I moaned as it rolled away in the sand and wondered if it would taste as nice all grainy, "It's poisonous" He explained and shuddering I wiped my hands on my shirt, "Here have some of this" he took his wine-skin from his inventory.

He held it out to me and I accepted it, mine had emptied yesterday evening although I had been very careful and only taken tiny sips, "But you don't have much left" I scrunched my face as I gauged how light the sack felt in my hands.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "It's fine, I'm a fire type remember" "I can take this heat much better then you.." He left the insult hanging and swaggered onwards, confident strides through the sand cutting an impressive figure with Catastrophe on his back.

"I guess I owe you one.." I muttered feeling a small smile begin to form. Strange how just moments ago, I never thought I'd be able to smile again.

I thought he hadn't heard me, but he called over his shoulder, "Think nothing of it. We all need some help from time to time. Doesn't make you weak."

I thought of earlier when he had told me to quickly grab-and-stab some adorable earth type monsters, tawny mice with huge ears and fluffy pompom tipped tails - I'd refused and he'd teased me. He'd called me out on my weakness again when he'd gone to skin the creatures for meat, and I had to turn away. He leant over and in a practiced move, made a single cut and pulled the skin off the body intact, like taking the cover from a pillow.

Despite his cruel mouth sometimes he could be kind, like the morning he had hugged me because I hadn't been able to face waking up on this world again. I blinked up at him, seeing much in his slate eyes and wondering how it was possible to read so much from the way they watched me.


	24. Chapter 24

I wasn't the first to notice the change in landscape because Rin was walking ahead of me and for once I was glad of the distance. All day he had been throwing confusing sentences and scenarios my way, expecting me to learn something. He sure took his role as my protector seriously. I forced myself to feel appreciated rather than smothered and overprotected. A couple of times, I thought I caught him glance back to me over his shoulder, but strode onwards, leaving me fuming behind. Afterwards I kept my eyes on the sand and so noticed when it gradually breezed away for baked, cracked earth instead.

"Are we getting closer to the volcano?" I asked, remembering the map layout from the DEMO video. We had cleared the Ancient Ruins, a place of dusty coffins with groaning creatures reaching out from within, the Sands of Time Temple full of cobalt cloaked soldiers with red eyes that floated above the ground, and even found the hidden dungeon and killed the boss. It had been a fearsome monster with the hindquarters of a lion with talons and wings like some demonic harpy, one head was lizard-like and could only hiss whilst the other was a disturbingly beautiful woman who distracted us with riddles.

He nodded, "Yes. Look, the village is up ahead" I peered past him and sure enough, there was an inky blot shimmering like a mirage in the heat haze of the distance. After the two weeks it had taken us to fully cross Trulus that small cluster of houses looked like heaven, if Rin said it was a town not one of the hallucinations I'd suffered after drinking from a poisoned well then I believed him. He had sniffed around the stone lip and pronounced it not safe for consumption but lured by the cool deep promise of the first fresh water in days I'd drank anyway.

Seeing the cluster of dwellings made all the exhaustion of my body fade away and for a moment I couldn't feel the tense weight in my chest or the burning of my calves, I increased my pace with one last spurt of energy. The dragon eased slower as we approached a stream of churning fire that flowed for miles in either direction and created a perfect circle around what looked to be a small village, there was a medieval-style bridge guarded by towering turrets and a formidable gate. There was a distinctly gothic feel to the architecture the dark side of my Succubus nature enjoyed, but the lava was making sweat break out across my brow.

Rin confidently paced on and I knew he would be comfortable here, I made my way much slowly towards the bridge, pausing briefly to gaze at the churning inferno below as the slate eyed man did the same. The hypnotising dance of the flames mildly soothes him, and helped him remember who he was. A massive silhouette, nearly invisible in the night save for his piercing hazel eyes, growled menacingly at us from the base of the footbridge. I eyed the figure with caution as it dusting off its cloak and lowering its hood, revealing a handsome man baring baring-sharp teeth in a silent growl.

I gulped and he dug an elbow lightly into my arm, "He's an Incubus, you should go talk to him" he prodded, inclining his head. My brows came together and I twisted round to look him in the face – unsure of what he meant. his lips pressed into a thin line. Rin was unbelievably skilled at controlling his expression. I had to watch him closely to see if he was mad, pissed, or upset. Judging by how his jaw worked, I was guessing pissed.

With another dry swallow I turned back to the sentry and walked closer, seeing he had the same grey skin and wings as mine as well as a green Player icon meaning he was safe made me feel better. I cleared my throat, lifted my chin then lowered it again when I figured I probably should be trying for meekness not defiance "What's your problem?" I asked, cranky from the walk. Back in Osaka, the advantage of living in a small city was getting anywhere fast takes practically no time at all and in the tightly-coiled neighbourhoods everybody knows everybody - even me.

Rin walked up behind me and raised his arm, he clenched his fist so it formed into a scaled claw and blue fire engulfed the appendage. The azure light illuminated the guard and threw his features into sharp relief. I took several steps back, the player was a young man, skin stretched tight over rippling grey muscles— a vision of smooth and sculpted perfection, "You can't come in" he explained with studious disinterest. I noticed he had a red heart shaped mark over his eye like I did.

"Is this village safe from PK's?" The dragon asked getting straight to the point. The watchman's sensuous mouth, one designed to render females utterly helpless, turned slightly down in a heartbreaking pout. It actually seemed a little unfair that he was so much more beautiful than me. Knowing this visage was only an Avatar was enough to have me resisting him, but if he looked like that IRL I'd be toast. Finally, he nodded reluctantly and Rin rolled his eyes, "Hikari, show him your species"

I cocked my head to one side inquisitively and he sent me a warning glare, I didn't understand but sensed that this was important and would play a vital key in getting us inside the village. Knowing we were so close to the first good nights sleep and opportunity to put up our feet properly in weeks renewed my courage. I dropped my concealment and felt the familiar alignment with the nature around me as my wings appeared and unfurled. The fire had taken on all the reds, yellows and oranges of late autumn, the darkest shadows welcomed me to hide in them.

As the man approached, a hot flush spread over my limbs and my wings fluttered. He came up behind me and his claws gently rested on my shoulders, squeezed, and then slid down my bared back to pass over my wings. They twitched and fluttered at his touch and I dragged in a shaky breath. I felt Rin tense beside me, but I guessed this was also part of the entry process; when I thumped him lightly on the back of his thigh with my tail he stepped back again, "Just checking you weren't using an illusion" he ran his hand through his bronze hair and looked at me through the lushest of lashes. Fire mixed with desire smouldered in his coffee-coloured eyes.

My party member seemed overly-eager to move onwards, he extinguished the fire and took a step towards the gate which was a subtle communication that he wanted to leave, "Thank you" I remembered to be polite at the last moment and gave a little nod of my head.

"Wait" he called, and I dithered because the dragon was giving me an insistent look. His expression named him thoroughly not impressed. The guard ran his gaze up and down my body and let out a soft, lustful moan. Oh well, what did I really expect from an incubus? Of course he would have a über sexy, 'come-hither-and-do-me' persona.

"Um.." I mumbled feeling my cheek heat up, unsure of what to say or how to act in this situation. This had never happened to me before, even in my wildest dreams I froze up when a guy this hot spoke to me! His tail snaked out to entwine around mine so I shifted back to my human Avatar.

He gave me his very best sexy smile and shifted closer. "You know I can't leave my post while I'm on duty. But I can help you relax and take your mind off things for a while if you like" He placed his hands lightly on my hips and pulled me to him. I pushed his hands away. He sighed, still staring at my body longingly. I felt the lightest tickle of warm rays where his gaze fell and grumbled with genuine annoyance. Rin also had a frown of disapproval stamped across his features. In honesty, he was also starting to get on my nerves with all the scowling and edgy looks. What was with his bad mood?

"Stop it! It creeps me out when you try your dark powers of persuasion on me!" I squeaked and scuttled backwards, "Face it, they don't work. Never will" I lied, "It's nothing personal," I added when he gave a hurt-puppy pout.

"You said this town is populated, surely there's other Players around you can bother" The dark haired man muttered as he stalked back over. I studied his face since the corner of his mouth looked suspiciously curved, like he was fighting a smile. I watched out for them since his smiles were so rare and stunning. His laughter was rarer, but when he did express amusement it was more than worth the wait.

"Yeah, but it's not the same. They're all so powerless and weak, it gets a little boring. Now you on the other hand…" He stepped closer again, reached out and lightly traced his claws over my bare stomach. The coins on the chain of my abdomen exposing vest clinked as I shivered, Rin's arm jerked up from his side and the Incubus flickered a gaze over to his axe but neither of them moved.

I pushed him away, stronger this time. "Ugh, stop! Don't make me have to hurt you!" I knew the threat was empty because why have him posted as a guard unless he was powerful - right? But it made me feel better to say it anyway.

"Sorry…" he apologised, but in the kind of voice as if he isn't remorseful in the slightest. "Just in the mood for some fun. I'm a little charged up. Didn't make as many conquests as I needed last night, and tonight they put me on patrol when I need to be out mating.." By this point I was completely lost as he went on a diatribe of his sexual exploits, "...It's been so slow out here, and then along comes the sexiest fireball for a thousand miles and you expect me to behave?" He laughed as if it was the funniest idea he'd ever heard.

They say human men have one-track minds; they have nothing on Incubi. Their sole reason for existing is seduction, mating, procreating—that's it. But this man wasn't a real Incubus, so why was he role-playing such a flirtatious jerk? I couldn't believe the first Player I'd met in such a long time had turned out to be an ass! "I'm not interested" I gave him the dirtiest look I could manage and stomped towards the bridge, but he reached out for my hand and gently pulled me back.

"I have every intention of showing you some of our more pleasurable customs some time..Hikari" he said evenly, but the glance he levelled at me all but panting. I inhaled and exhaled deeply, "I'm Kieto" he greeted.

My partner looked like he regretted speaking my name earlier, the exotic tattoos under his eyes had taken on a menacing appeal as his ears grew pointed. The dragon had evidently decided enough was enough because he stood as close to me as he could without touching my side, "She only parties with me" he ground out through a clenched jaw of fangs. That wasn't strictly true, nobody else had ever asked me. Kieto winced as if Rin had struck him a blow, his wings rustled irritably. My head swung back and forth between them, more than concerned now. They were being openly disrespectful to each other.

"We don't want any trouble.." I began but the tension in the air between the two had shimmered down just as quickly as it had sprang up. Lowering his head, the Incubus broke our mutual get-over-here-and avoided meeting my gaze. My back straightened. Instead of telling the dragon to take a hike, he stood there with his eyes on the floor like he would keel over dead if he looked at me. Was Rin this much stronger than him?

"There won't be any.." He replied dully, keeping his eyes away from me, "..Have a safe journey" he swung himself around and marched away with his arrow-topped tail quite literally between his legs and wrapped around one thigh. Tongue-tied, I felt a little bad for him as we walked past and I followed my partner across the long, narrow tongue of the bridge to the other side. I sensed Kieto's eyes on my back the entire time and wondered if that would be the last we saw of him.

We were both silent, and just as I opened my mouth to ask if he was okay he turned his face to me and questioned the same. Caught off-guard I hesitated before stammering out, "Y-yes" he didn't look convinced. Truth be told, I had been trying very hard not to think how slipping and falling off the bridge would cause me to be crispy barbecue.

He stared at me in that intense, blink-less way he did when he was trying to see inside my head, and then he smiled; a small thing that passed over his lips. I felt like a fire had just been kindled under my ribs, "We've saved up enough Peri that we can afford to stay at a nice Inn tonight" he conversed as we reached the street mouth, I knew he was trying to distract me from what had passed between him and the Incubi on the bridge, but it would not work. I could not ask him what was wrong, somehow I knew he would not tell me. But I would figure it out, oh yes; I would work it all out.

"Rubi Village" I read aloud from the wooden sign that neither welcomed visitors nor warned us away. He sighed heavily, and muttered something to himself too low for me to hear despite my acute hearing.

We walked down a road fringed with tapering gold-pillared pagoda and houses with snail-shell shaped roofs tiled with red scales, a bronze urn burned with spell-fire outside each one and wavered to lick the air as we walked by. That aside, the first thing I noticed was all the other Players - casually talking and laughing together as if this was any other VRMMORPG, there were nearly as many as the AI's that drifted around. Not since Momoga had teleported us all to present the tutorial had I seen such a large gathering of people trapped in here like myself. Safety in numbers, I realised, although fifty was a scant handful compared to the five hundred there had been initially. I wondered if this was everyone and hoped that more had survived, although I was also a little chagrined we weren't the first to make it to Rubi.

"How about here?" He asked as we came to a halt outside a whitewashed building that stood out from the rest as it didn't use crimson or gold in its design. I studied the sign swinging from above the open doorway which bore a simple depiction of a certain sour fruit, The Laemon to its name, beside the door it had a tree planted that used Earth Runes and blooming spells to provide fruit every day.

"Sure" I agreed with a nod and we went inside. The lower room of the property had a bar with several low tables and cushions thrown on the floor for comfort, some surfaces were laid with glass goblets, plates of vegetables and roasted meat legs, green bottles of red wine. Another table had brimming tankards of ale. I skirted an artfully arranged potted plant only to almost crash into the crates of bottled alcohol on the floor, blushing when Rin rolled his eyes at me.

The Inn-keeper, a ram horned AI stood behind a counter with an expression of patient expectation when he saw us walk in noticeably dusty and filthier than everyone else. We walked by the wood burner which kept the room nicely toasted and approached him. He smiled with a bow, "Are you looking for a meal? Or to stay the night it's 100 Peri each"

I glance up at my partner and he answered, "We'll be staying overnight and have food sent up" the man nodded and scratched his goatee.

"Very well, I shall ask the maids to bring up a bath so that you may get clean before the food arrives" he gestured his arm up the wooden staircase, "Please, follow me" It was only as he walked out from around the counter to show us upstairs did I notice his feet ended in cloven hooves. We followed him to the upper half of the building which was a narrow hallway with many doors leading off it, when we got to the seventh he unlocked it with one of the keys he wore on a metal ring at his hip, "Here we are"

I walked inside, getting a glimpse of pale walls, a single bed and yellow curtains before I turned back to see the two of them still stood outside in the corridor. The AI was glancing between the dragon and me with a look of perplexity, "Oh, we aren't sharing" he explained belatedly and the AI apologised, bowing in an appeasing way as I felt my face go through the entire colour spectrum of pink.

"I'm so sorry, I assumed as you party together.." The inn keeper smiled, "Many couples choose my establishment in particular as a romantic retreat" he explained, my cheeks were red now and before they could go purple I swallowed my embarrassment and stepped forwards,

"I-I'll talk to you later" I stammered before shutting the door on both of them. I didn't have the key to lock it, but with a guard controlling who went into the town it had to be safe right?

I took off my headdress and lightening pin to put them back in my inventory, sitting down on the bed. The sheets had been scrubbed with lemon scented soap. This was the first time I would be sleeping alone in a while, so I decided I would keep Star Piercer under my pillow in my hand as I slept. My room was nice, but I wondered what Rin's looked like. I crossed to the window to check out what view it provided and received it with mixed feelings, the silhouette of the smoking volcano was imposing but the town snaking towards it was bright and lavishly decorated - like a red and gold dragon.

I span around as a knock on the door came and paced over to it, did Rin want to come and talk to me about something? I opened it to see an young female AI in a maid uniform with small pointed horns, "Hello, madam" she hefted a huge tin tub full of hot water in her tiny arms, "Your bath?"

Mind somewhat boggled by her small frame dwarfed by the burden she carried so easily, I stood back to let her inside. She waddled in under the strain of it and let out a happy sigh when she managed to manoeuvre it on the floor without spilling a drop, "Thank-you" I replied although since AI's couldn't feel appreciated there was little point in the courtesy.

She passed me a bar of yellow soap, lemon emblazoned towel and a small washcloth, "Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to make your stay more comfortable" she left and I closed the door behind her. I stripped off and dumped my clothes on the floorboards in my eagerness to get properly clean for the first time since I had been transported in here.

Sliding down into the bath I was glad of my diminutive height as my lower body became entirely immersed. The heat was delicious as it soothed my aching limbs rather than beating them into submission like the sun had done as we explored Trulus, the water had been scented with lemon. With a groan of sheer delight I wriggled my toes and sank down to my neck. My HP bar fully replenished after a few minutes of lazily lying on my back, my hair swaying like a cape of seaweed beneath me.

With my head still above the water I heard a knock on the door next to mine, probably Rin receiving his tin tub too. There was a female voice and a deeper one responded, but the walls were only thin enough that I could discern the sound not the owners. It could have been my partner, but I couldn't know for sure. The door closed and then came a splash, and then another splash of what could have only been two bodies falling into a bath. I fanned my flushing cheeks as there came a giggle, a mans booming laugh and then silence. Suddenly I heard a sharp womanly moan and I pulled myself under the water entirely.

Under here the sounds were muted and all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart, I stared up at the ceiling until I couldn't stand the pressure against my eyelids and squeezed my eyes tightly shut. I laced my arms around my chest, shaking my head from side to side as my mouth clamped shut with the effort of not sobbing and letting out the air that was gradually beginning to burn in my chest. When I thought I couldn't hold my breath a second longer a knock came at my door and I jerked upright, water sluicing down my body to hide the tears I told myself weren't there.

I stood up and wrapped the towel securely under my armpit, stomping over towards the door to yank it open with more force than I should have. Was dinner here already, had I been soaking in the bath that long? I expected to see the maid bringing my food and bit down on my tongue with surprise when I saw Rin instead, "Ow!" I cursed at the same time he looked just as shocked to see me in such a state and murmured,

"Erm..." It was the first time I'd ever seen him lost for words, the reaction might have been funny if I didn't feel so utterly exposed and embarrassed. We stared at each other in silence for a long moment, "I-I just wanted to tell you my room is that way" he inclined his head opposite the room that the frivolous noises had come from, "I've ordered food to be sent to my room..s-so come over once you're ready" He was trying very hard to keep his eyes above my shoulders.

I nodded mutely, at the worst possible moment a loud female moan of satisfaction sounded from next door. We both jumped and before I could be anymore humiliated I slammed the door in his face again. I got back into the water and hurried to wash myself, experiencing it as more of a task than the pleasure it had been minutes ago. I dressed again in the pants and vest, slipping my feet into the shoes and leaving my hair unbound so it would dry quicker.

I slipped out of my room and stood outside the door he had indicated with my hand poised to knock. But I didn't, opting to stand there awkwardly as if frozen in time instead. With a hot flush creeping up my neck and a too-hard thump of my heart, I realised this might be harder than I first thought. Building up the courage I tapped on timidly and flinched as the door swung open seconds later. We pointedly looked away from each other both obviously still thinking of what had just happened and he let me inside wordlessly.

The three course meal was already prepared on a round table that had been brought up, I sat down on the other free cushion when Rin smoothly folded himself down into one. He tilted his chin and picked up his chopsticks, to indicate I should do the same. We ravenously ate in silence and famished appetite forwent manners as I quite literally stuffed my cheeks, pausing from chewing only to pour out a healthy measure of water from the earthenware jug to slake my thirst.

Although the food was still so hot steam rose from it I plucked up seaweed rice balls dripping in glossy plum sauce, scarfed down octopus wasabi and sliced sausage before finishing my dessert of raisin-bread. It all tasted so good, the flavours hit my tongue and the warmth settled in my belly just as deliciously as real food.

Although though I should feel comfortable with him, when I tried to meet his gaze my eyes fell to his lap, making me suddenly more uncomfortable because I was staring at his crotch. The dragon said and did nothing. I was shy, he was intimidating. His eyes roved the room occasionally returning to mine, he seemed content to sit there finishing off his bream capriccio and glass of Kumis - a milk alcohol made by fermenting milk in a barrel.

Eager to fill the silence I found myself talking about things I have long packed up, like a spinsters hope chest. I told him about the time me and my mother went once shopping together, how she got stuck in a sundress too small for her, and we had to buy it just so we could rip it off. I told him how, even years afterwards, the word sundress could make us collapse with laughter. I thought less of how impolite some Players considered it to speak of our real selves as the memories came thicker and faster.

I told him how on my tenth birthday she let me eat dessert for breakfast and how she could touch my forehead and guess if I was feverish. I told him how when I was little and convinced a monster lived in my closet, she slept outside it for a week and taught me how to spit watermelon seeds through my teeth when I couldn't sleep. I told him about Ru-Shan's silent kindness that belied his monstrous height and Sayura's legendary pickled herrings.

Each memory was like a paper flower stored up a magicians sleeve: invisible one moment and so substantial and florid the next, I couldn't imagine how it's stayed hidden all this time. And then like those paper flowers, once they've been let loose into the world, the memories were impossible to tuck away again. I felt like a leaf that was once part of a great oak, captured by the wind and carried away into the unknown. I knew I was destined to go far, but I missed being unseen amongst others like me.

In reward for my honesty he peppered me with questions, was my mother a natural blonde like me? Did I get my habit of ducking my head as I spoke from her? Through these questions I realised he saw a lot more of me than I realised. He told me that with a high enough cooking skill, and the items vinegar, a barrel, a knife and some herring, I could make the pickled fish just as well myself here.

It turned out sharing the past with someone was different from reliving it alone. It felt less like a wound, more like a poultice.


	25. Chapter 25

The sun beat a steady tattoo against the rooftops and the air shimmered with heat, my curtains rustled as I had left the window open last night to cope with the warmth of being in a village surrounded by lava. I squinted and turned over, before giving a leisurely yawn and stretching. I blinked sleepily, the ceiling coming into focus.

Normally I dreaded this part of the day and the inevitable trek it would bring. Not the walk itself—that part thanks to Rin I enjoyed—but the fact that I had a long day of misery ahead of me. But not today.

Today, I felt more alive than any day in recent memory—as if all the mixed-up pieces inside me had miraculously rearranged and lined up in proper order.

For the first time, I actually looking forward to what surprises the day could bring. Just knowing that my partner would be there, nearby, made me feel I could endure almost anything. I knew I was setting myself up for a dangerous disappointment. I knew nothing could ever happen between him and me, just as I knew he was only partying with me so I can help him complete the game, but I could not look forward and not see him. If I looked back there was nothing before him. In my mind's eye the world was surrounded by darkness and he was shimmering silver light guiding me home, keeping me safe until I could see again.

As much as I wanted to, I could not run from this. I had to help to bring everyone back from Angelcestra. Always did I panic and tell anyone who would listen that I could not, would not do it. Never did I sit up and take the control offered to me from all those who would pledge to party with me. My fear was a blanket I hid behind to mask the truth. I had no motivation to help if it me at I might die in the process.

Rin was strong. He faced all challenges with grim determination and did not stop until he was victorious. He went into every confrontation on his own terms, certain that he would succeed. I was dragged into situations kicking and screaming like a child. I did not feel good enough for him and it was frustrating. It was like I wore big boots but my feet were pitifully small, and no matter how hard I tried to run in them without tripping over, they were simply too big for me.

I reflected on how easy and pleasant it had been to eat with my partner yesterday, the way I pointed out when he had food in his chin and how when I looked for a certain utensil or seasoning he would hand if to me the next instant. With exhausted happiness as we sat there digesting it had almost been like I was his wife tired from a day of cleaning our home and he was my husband back from a long day at work. I jumped out of bed and shook my head, banishing that thought. I had to stop getting all soppy like that, what was wrong with me?!

As I pulled on my desert exploring garb I remembered how liberally I had been talking about my life back in the real world and was glad that he had taken it well enough. I realise that even though he had questioned me and seemed interested in my life he hadn't divulged anything about his at all. As I fixed the thunder bolt shaped clip in my hair but left the headdress in my inventory, I decided that today I would find out more about him!

I relieved myself in the chamber-pot and slid it discreetly under the bed before washing my face in the small round basin in front of a cracked mirror on the wall. Afterwards I stared at my reflection, which was unchanged despite how different and somehow more experienced I felt inside. Growing up I had been told I was a beautiful child, but I didn't see it.

I had always thought I was fairly plain looking, ordinary in every way. My thickly lashed eyes were slightly larger than they should have been, a dark blue colour. The dark bags under them never faded. I wished my nose were just a little narrower, it wasn't big, it just wasn't perfect in my eyes. My lips were plump, which my mother had said was a positive aspect, but I'd never used them for kissing. I suppose I did have good skin though. I had been lucky, now twenty-four years old, acne had never seemed to catch up with me.

I fixed the bed sheets so that they were neater and closed the window with a quick look towards the smouldering volcano. Once I was sure that everything was as it should be I left the room and turned to the door next to mine and rapped on it smartly, then waited for it to open. When it didn't for a couple of long seconds I frowned and knocked again, and gave an expectant smile when this time it swung open, "Good morning!" I greeted sunnily then my jaw dropped.

Rin stood there bare chested with one eye creaked open and the other still shut, needless to say all of the muscles were in the right places, "Mn?" He rumbled sleepily. He raised his arms to stretch and for a second, musculature bulging all over the place hypnotised me.

"Oh.." I squeaked and started to turn away, and he stopped moving. I saw the tension in his exquisitely defined body, the stiffness, and realised we were both keeping our distance. All that smooth skin flowed uninterrupted down to his wrists, tattooed with three blue bands the same colour as the tribal arrows under his eyes. I wanted to reach out and grab him. He stuck his thumbs in the back pockets of his trousers.

He stepped back to let me in and I waited for a few moments, still staring at him in disbelief. If there were any hints of tiredness in my system earlier they were gone now. It felt like my entire body was buzzing with awareness. I felt a little awkward coming into his room when he was dressed - or rather undressed, that way. But I had been the one who had knocked so it would be weird if I suddenly made an excuse and left. "You're acting chipper" he opened the other eye.

I moved stiffly to perch on the end of the bed, it's sheets still rumpled. I could feel the warmth of his body held in them through the thin material of my trousers, "Am I?" I asked, somewhat distracted. I could not even begin to search for words to say. The mouth-watering scent that emanated from Rin was concentrated strongly on the pillows

"Are you okay?" he asked as he looked at me. "You seem weird" I tried to keep my eyes on his face, although it was hard not to openly gape at the tattooed bands that stretched up to his biceps and even extended around his fingers like ringed gloves. I hadn't noticed before because he always wore black fingerless gloves and a long sleeved shirt beneath his armour.

His words seemed to finally jar me from my stupor. I shook my head with a pasted smile, "So, what's the plan for today?"

He turned his back to me and put put his weight on one hip as he tossed his head to look for his shirt, which drew my attention to how the fabric of his pants hugged his rear end and the snake of small navy blue squares tattooed down his back to replicate his spinal cord. It disappeared below his trouser line and I blushed wondering how far down it went.

Finally he found his shirt inexplicably crumpled up on the windowsill and I mourned the loss of his exposed torso as he shrugged it on. Afterwards he stared at me groggily as if still trying to ascertain if I was real or if he was dreaming, "I guess...we'll find a bar or ale house.." he paused, "..Somewhere with a large gathering of players so we can find information..." he ran a hand through his hair and gave a wide yawn which exposed most of his fangs, "...Then we'll find the marketplace"

I realized I was locked into his slate eyes, and blinked. I also realized my fascination, not any spell, pulled me in. I gave my head a quick little shake to shake me out of it, "But breakfast first, right?"

He slowly shook his head with disbelief, "Sure...Breakfast.." he dragged his feet towards the door and before I could protest held up his hand, "I'll go tell them to bring something up" he shut it behind him and I let out a long sigh as I fell back on the bed.

At least a little time apart would give me time to organise my thoughts and calm down..not that I was riled up, I just hadn't expected him to answer the door shirtless! A small smile sprang to my lips as I rose my hand to touch the feverish blush on my cheeks. I shook my head again, I was acting like some stupid schoolgirl! Yanking myself back upright I tidied the covers before looking around the room. It wasn't really Rin's bedroom, more just a room that he was staying in; and it looked the same as mine with yellow curtains and mirror above the sink, but I was still a little shy to be in here.

As hard as I tried I couldn't forget the lessons life taught me, what happened when you lower your defenses and unconditionally gave yourself to another person. I'd attempted friendships with people in chat-rooms before and it always ended when the lies of the other were exposed. Yet a certain look from the dragons eyes and I all but dissolved. His brief and rare touches sent delicious sensations clean through me. His heat and scent were as familiar as my own body. I had let him slip through barriers no other had breached without even realising, last night's babbling was proof of that.

To distract myself I checked out his window to see what view it held, which was of the lemon tree below and the crowd of Players and AI's going about their ways in the morning. After such a long time of only coming across the odd Quest AI or coming across a small camp accidentally it was amazing to see so many people, and so many of them Players with green icons! My smile widened with the hope that there were more safe people to help defeat Momoga in this VVMMORPG than just Rin.

I was still smiling as I sat down on the cushion just as my partner came back in, he threw me a questioning glance at my contented expression and I shrugged, "Just happy, that's all" he stooped to drag his cushion across from the other side of the table next to mine, and fluidly sat down on it cross-legged.

He placed his hands on the table, probably wondering what attributed to my change of mood but knowing better than to outright ask. He watched his fingers stroke the tabletop; long, lean fingers moving in a caress, as if he touched skin, not wood, "There's a lot of Players outside" he commented, then looked up at me.

I nodded enthusiastically, the ends of my hair bobbed, "We should be able to find out some helpful information, maybe even somebody else to join our party-" I clamped my mouth shut cursing my running tongue but it was too late, he had definitely heard and for just a moment his eyes hardened and his fingers stopped moving, "I-I mean.."

"I understand" he cut across bluntly. He resumed tracing a pattern on the table top with his index. I wished he would look someplace else, because his deliberate concentration on my face discomfited me. I almost gulped aloud. Avoiding his eyes, I laid my arms on the table and twined my fingers together, concentrating on my nails, "I already told you, if somebody invites you into their Guild you should accept it.." He looked down at his moving finger still making invisible patterns on the table so he didn't see the naked pain that flashed over my face as my stomach twisted in agony, "..The same goes for if somebody asks you to join a party"

I stiffened my jaw because I could feel it trembling and stuffed my hands under the table knowing they would be shaking too. It took me a few minutes before I could compose myself enough to reply, as he just sat there snaking the same translucent coils. How could he sit there and say those words so calmly, like I meant nothing to him? After all that we had been through? Even though none of this was real, for now it had become my reality until we could kill Momoga and break free. It hurt twice as much because I had been honest and open with him in a way I'd never been with anyone else.

"Well.." I slowly mumbled, before pausing to collect my courage, "I don't want that!" I bit down on my lower lip, trying to sound strong-headed I'd come across as stubborn instead.

He looked up, laying his palm flat on the table, "You have to do what's best for you" he muttered in the kind of voice a parent uses to console a child getting its flu injections, I'd heard it in the waiting room when I went to get tested for carpal tunnel. I opened my mouth to interject but he continued, "But for now, I think that its best you continue to party with me anyway"

I tried not to make it visible that his words perked me up immediately and fought down the smile creeping up. My hands fisted my trousers beneath the table, "You don't want to party with anybody else?" I whispered shyly.

For a moment I thought he hadn't heard, but then his hand stopped moving and went up to clasp his chin. He stared at the wall as if it held many secrets for him, "No. I'm usually a solo-player" he finally replied.

I stored away the first nugget of information I'd gleaned from him since we met weeks ago and smiled, nodding, "Me too" I divulged, before my smile widened, "Although I did enjoy being leader of a guild" although I had been about to say more a knock came at the door and he smoothly rose to go and answer it.

"Your breakfast as you asked, sir" the brunette AI in workers garb with lilac horns chirped. She was clearly a different maid to the one who had hefted my bath with such ease yesterday, but her slim muscles still bulged with the effort of hoisting a large tray in her arms laden with food. Even with this burden, she managed to curtsey.

"I'll take that" he held out his arm with his body blocking the part of the door he held open.

"No need sir, it is my pleasure" she simpered and deftly ducked under his arm inside the room with amazing agility. She set the tray down on the table and poured out the tea with measured grace as he stood blinking at the spot where she had been before warily coming to sit back down, "My manager wishes to thank you for staying at the Laemon Tree" I looked up at her and realised she was talking exclusively to Rin, as if I wasn't even there! I felt my cheeks heat up indignantly as she bent over towards him, "If there is anything we can do to assist you, please ask one of us"

I folded my arms over my chest and gave her one of my patented if-looks-could-kill glares I usually reserved for somebody trying to buy the last ramen cup in my favourite flavour. "Hmf!" I huffed snippily before I could help myself. She may as well be draping herself all over him! Was this the extent of the service she provided? My partner looked discomfited as he leant back every inch that she came closer. I knew he would be feeling uncomfortable with someone invading his personal space, but I wasn't about to help him! Serves him right for entertaining the harlot!

She sashayed towards the door with an extra twist to her hips and my stomach knotted unpleasantly. I was surprised by the intensity of how much I wanted to throw myself at her in Succubus form, claws extended, "We are so happy to have the strongest Player in Angelcestra staying at our modest establishment!" She sang before shutting the door.

My jaw hung open and I slowly turned to face him, my eyes roved his body and took in his abashed expression, the way his bicep bulged as he rose his arm to sheepishly scratch behind his head, the blur next to his name atop his HP bar were his LVL should have been shown, "S-strongest Player?!" I repeated and he winched.

He clapped a hand to his forehead as if he would rather be anywhere but in this situation, "AI's can see through the codes used for glamour spells and deception skills.." He explained in a chagrined voice, "..they can see the number of my level" he flashed me a chastised look, begging me to drop the matter.

More than anything I wanted to ask him what LVL he was, and he was staring at me with the guarded expectancy that let me know he was aware of how much I wanted to ask him. Silently he pleaded me not to and I pointedly turned away to stare at the food to let him know the matter was dropped.

Although he didn't say anything his body dropped from its defensive tenseness and I heard him exhale. I sat at the table, fiddling with the ends of my hair on one side, trying to think up something to say. But a kind of calm settled over me. Morning sun streamed through the window, the room felt warm and steamy with the arrival of breakfast, and the smell of whatever it was was wonderful.

When I saw the familiar fried silvery-grey fish I grabbed the plate and raised it under my nose to sniff hopefully, before giving a small gasp. I grabbed a fork and cut a piece of the fish off without even putting the plate back into the table and poked it into my mouth, vinegar and the delicious salty flesh accentuated by the frying process exploded on my tongue. I let out a little moan and blushed when I realised Rin was staring at me with bulging eyes, "Sorry" I mumbled and swallowed another forkful, "Pickled herring"

He gave a slow, exaggerated nod, "I know..I told them to make them" I set the plate down and blinked as I digested this news, remembering how last night I had told him how much I enjoyed Sayura's recipe which was famous in Osaka. The creases of an oncoming deepened at the corners of his mouth, but his lips didn't curve, "I would have made them myself sooner if I'd realised you enjoy them.." He paused and pointedly glanced at my already half-empty plate, "..This much"

I had a little difficulty getting the fork into my mouth if I didn't concentrate as Rin's presence filled the small room. Feeling like a complete pig I finished the rest with much more restraint and dabbed the corners of my mouth dry with my napkin. Funny, they had tasted exactly like Sayura made them - down to the secret extra ingredient of a little lemon and pepper to accentuate the fish and salt. I had previously thought only my landlady made the that way, but evidently it must have been a standard ingredient.

I felt a wash of heat tingling down my side - the side of my body which he sat next to. Actually, it was downright pleasant, but also extremely distracting. I thought he knew the effect he had on me because every now and then he smirked. It was his body heat, I decided. Like using a heating pad on sore muscles makes you relax, Rin had the same effect on me. He was hot, in more ways than one. Warmth seemed to emanate from him and bathe my side from hip to head. His left hand lay atop on his thigh, and each time I glimpsed it from the corner of my eyes I recalled his supple fingers.

Suddenly the comradely air thickened and the dragon jerked himself up, full-sprinting the few paces towards the window. He leant his palms on the windowsill and gazed out through the glass, before shaking his head. I joined him and looked through the window. I didn't see anything unusual. "Smell something?" I queried aware of how sensitive his nose was, it had gotten us out of trouble - okay, me out of trouble, many times now.

He rolled his shoulders, "Maybe.." He shook his head and went back to sit down, "For just a second, between the Laemon tree and that AI with the moustache shaped like a broom.." I stayed by the window to find the man struggling with a cart of purple, yellow-spotted strawberries. "It's gone now" he explained.

I peered outside with my nose inches from the glass. "Yeah, but what did it look like?" I asked, "AI, Player, monster?" I recited the options with the same ease students answered: Mineral, vegetable, etc..

He grabbed his glass of fruit juice and downed it entirely in one gulp before replying, "A shape, man-sized, kind of blurry." He dragged his shirt sleeve across his mouth.

I held my breath as I gazed intently. Then I saw movement, a small dark shape jutted from the Laemon tree's trunk and disappeared again. It could be a squirrel on the trunk. Or an elbow. I cracked the door and listened. The yard was perfectly silent. Not a bird cheeping, not a chirrup from the grasshoppers. A ray of sun broke free from a cloud and I saw a flash, sunlight reflected off metal.

My heart lurched and I flipped myself around, "He's still there. Maybe he's the man who stood outside the house we slept in back in Olmvale" I rubbed up and down my arms, pimply with goosebumps despite the warm air, "Perhaps he's followed us all this way.."

He rolled his eyes, but his lips were clamped tightly, "Don't be stupid, your imagination is getting the better of you" he jibed and smoothly stood back up, "Again." He added and crossed over, lightly touching my arm. The contact was brief and slight but more then enough to get my attention. "Now come on, you can digest whilst we walk"


	26. Chapter 26

My head craned this way and that attempting to catch the busy wealth of colourful sights around me, even though I had seen the crowds of other Players yesterday the noisy bustle of everybody was still striking after spending so much time with nobody other than Rin for company. Not that he was bad company overall...I reflected as I watched his axe-carrying back retreat through the masses away from me, his black cloak and dark blue armour stood out like a smudge in all the bright hues and he moved with a wraith-like swiftness. The way my body felt so constantly aware of his presence next to mine unsettled me. I had only known the man a few weeks. I shouldn't be having the overpowering desire to reach out and take his hand in mine so soon, or ever really.

I hurried to follow him biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling. IRL I thought I was happy being on my own. I had become independent and I needed no one. But Angelcestra showed me I was wrong. Humans are social creatures by nature and while I may have been somewhat of a recluse, I was still human. At least I hoped so.

Neither of us said anything as we strove through the marketplace, noisy with merchants hawking wares and boasting of their produce. I was learning to like that about him; he didn't feel the need to constantly fill the silence and only spoke when he thought I needed to be made aware of something. At first I kept myself alert for trouble, we had explained to the Laemon Tree staff we would not be returning for another night and they had seemed genuinely aggrieved to see us - well, Rin, go. It had been his idea to move around and sleep in different Inn's just in case someone was following us, and I hadn't bothered mentioning the footprints outside the house we stayed at in Olmvale because he would have scorned my worrying.

I glanced around and realised I couldn't see the broad shoulders and glint of Catastrophe in front of me, wildly my head span before I picked out his side-profile from the recognisable tribal marks under his eyes. I side-stepped between two AI's who parted to let me pass and caught up with him. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help but stare at the way he walked. I had never seen anyone move so gracefully, almost as if he were walking on a sheet of glass and was being very gentle to not crack it. And yet I had never seen anyone so graceful look so masculine or confident in the way he moved.

Stop it, I scolded myself. I couldn't let those kinds of thoughts surface. I couldn't let myself develop feelings like that. No matter how just being around him felt like rain falling on a long dried out desert. I shook my head, but it was hardly surprising after crossing Trulus over the last two weeks I was using such analogies. Regardless I couldn't allow feelings like this to continue any longer. Relationships for someone like me were impossible. And besides, why would Rin ever be interested in someone like me?

"We should try over there" he pointed his finger towards a tavern named the Hero's Head. I rose an eyebrow in silent speculation, given the name and we wanted to stay out of danger it didn't seem like the most same idea, "I'm sure the name is just a testimony of Momoga's dark humour" he commented nonchalantly to dispel my nerves, but the mere reference had the opposite effect.

He always referred to the evil terrorist holding us by his Username and not preferred title of Dark Emperor, like he wasn't scared of him like I was or just saw him as a normal man and not the mastermind who controlled over us all. I frowned, barking at him "Rin!" He looked at me in surprise, I only rose my voice at him when he purposefully needled me, "Don't say his name so loud.." I glanced around, those nearest were giving us a mixture of suspicious and curious glances.

He rolled his impressive shoulders, "Why not, he can't hear me" he responded dryly. I elbowed him in the side and he took guardedly a step back, his eyes widening. He held up his palms and backed up as I advanced on him, unnerved by my reaction.

"Yes, but other people can.." I hissed, wary of the eyes upon us, "Let's go inside.." I hustled him towards the building, it had the same red scaled roof as all the others, only the wooden sign swinging from a windowsill decked with bright flowerpots showed it was any different to the others around it. There was a menu board outside the door, a letter in the chalk was rubbed out, so instead of reading 'Dine Here Now' it wrote 'Di e Here Now'. Perfect.

I stilled and he paused beside me, "Somebody's inappropriate idea of a joke?" He suggested and ever so slightly prodded me in the ribs, it was enough for me to rouse myself to the lead through the open doorways from which delicious scents and pleasant chatter wafted through.

"Or a warning" I muttered remembering that Rin had spotted a man outside our inn earlier. We walked inside and I had a few seconds to take in the occupants of the square typically decorated bar room before another poke in my side halted me. I looked up over my shoulder to see him thoughtfully pursing his lower lip with hesitant dark eyes. He grabbed my hand and entwined our fingers so our palms were flat together.

His eyes fluttered close and then opened, his brow becoming all the more furrowed. His lips quivered, almost as if he were trying to say something, but was unable to find the strength to make the words come out, "Just...shut up" he finally muttered with a large sigh. He dragged me by the arm into the room as I lagged mutely after him.

Part of me couldn't help but swoon over his absolute perfection and be delighted to have him holding my hand but the other part was still remembering how he had seemed almost possessive yesterday Kieto. He still held that air of absolute confidence about him, teetering on the edge of arrogance without being irritating. There was always a certain look in his eyes as well, almost as if he knew he would eventually get his way. With everything. Although perhaps I was been overly sensitive. Rin had come off as judgmental and almost possessive at first, scary even in battle. But he also usually kept a respectful distance and was the perfect gentleman so I was beginning to feel perfectly at ease in his presence.

He led us to an empty table and immediately dropped my hand as quickly as he could without seeming disgusted, I made an effort to hold in my disappointed sigh and felt a little ridiculous as he held out my chair. I took and it he took off his cloak and hung it on the back of the chair, then sat down across from me folding his elbows across his chest.

Strange emotions ran though me as I couldn't but stared into the perfection of his face. There was a sense of familiarity about the dragon and yet at the same time, I knew he was like no one I had ever met before. We didn't have to wait long before a spiral horned AI sashayed over to and I steeled myself to experience being ignored in favour of 'The strongest player in Angelcestra'. Although I'd dropped the matter I couldn't forget that the man sat before me whose face was now as recognisable as my own reflection was so powerful! How had he managed to get such a high level, so fast? I'd been with him almost the entire time and my LVL was only just 40.

"So are you hungry?" she asked cheerily after we exchanged greetings. My partner shook his head and said nothing, he seemed tight lipped and tension emanated from his frame, perhaps that was why the waitress didn't drape herself all over him in an attempt to appease him. Or maybe it was because Rin looked really frightening when his eyes hardened above the delicate blue cheekbone tattoos.

"No, but I'll have a drink please," I requested and she rattled off the menu list. I decided I was safe with a glass of water, mindful I needed to visit the weapon-forgers to hone Star Piercer and general store to buy more potions. The AI, practically bouncing like a giddy fifteen-year-old girl, promised me she would be back shortly and went to retrieve my order.

The slate eyed man relaxed imperceptibly when she left, but his flickering gaze around the room wasn't veiled of the threat if we were disturbed or harmed in some way. I realised that he was just as nervous as I was and took a glance at the Players surrounding us eating, drinking and talking; all of them displayed a green diamond icon indicating they weren't violent. I wanted to break the silence but wasn't sure of what to say so I just sat and watched him, realising every so often the pattern of his stare would flit deliberately towards the window as if he expected to catch someone peeking in.

It seemed to take an eternity for the drink to arrive, though it could not have been more than a few minutes. As soon as she placed the glass down, leaving with a curtsey, I picked it up and downed half of it in less than thirty seconds. Rin's eyebrow rose and the corner of his mouth tilted, "Slow down there." He advised, visibly relaxing.

"Sorry" I apologised as I wiped a tiny drop that had escaped onto my lips onto the back of my hand. "I'm thirsty-" I looked up as a shadow fell across our table and I looked up to see a flawless Avatar with deep ivy hair tumbling in waves down past her shoulders. She was easily the most exquisite creature I'd ever laid eyes on, with a face too perfect to be imagined which had a leaf shaped green pigmentation over her left eye.

"Hello, I'm Faleen. A Dryad" she smiled at the dragon and I shrank back in my seat, too intimidated by her beauty to react moodily and sulk to yet another female oozing all over him. She wore a leaf-woven tube dress that sheathed her lower body beneath the armpits to show half of her body was covered in strange, bright-emerald markings, reminiscent of ancient tribal tattoos, "I couldn't help but notice you over here, would you like to come and join our table?" The goddess asked. Even her voice sounded like sublime harmonic perfection.

I surreptitiously glanced where she had pointed and saw a group of similarly flawless Dryad, the females dressed the same but the three men were bare chested with brown trousers held up with belts woven from reeds. Impressive looking weapons hung from the belt and a long katana-type sword was laid on the table amongst the tin tankards of ale. Most of them hid their levels but from the few that didn't I knew they had powerful members amongst them, if they were a guild I could assume the levels of the Players I couldn't see were equal or higher than the ones I could see. Every one of them was staring over at our table wondering how their friend was progressing.

I couldn't see how Rin could possibly say no to this lovely female when he let out a long sigh and did exactly that, "No thanks" he replied without bothering to use the name she provided. I couldn't help but be as stunned by his answer as she was, but she recovered much more quickly than me and offered him a seductive smile whilst it was sure my mouth still hung open.

I took a long draw of my drink, feeling awkward, "Are you sure?" She pressed in a sugary voice and leant closer. He looked like he wasn't enjoying her stubbornness and abruptly stood up, I tensed wondering what he was going to do as her friends also rose up fluidly.

He kept his eyes firmly fixed on me as he excused himself, "I'll be right back" he spoke in a firm voice and turned away quickly, but not soon enough. I gave a glimpse of undisguised hostility as the patrons cut a path for him to walk towards a door I assumed led to the bathroom. I couldn't believe he was leaving me alone with her! I took another sip of my drink and ducked my head hoping she would just go back to her table now.

Faleen's eyes narrowed for just a moment as if she were considering asking something she possibly shouldn't. It only lasted a moment though before she showered me with questions about my partner. "So what's the deal with you and him?" She spat in an acidic voice. I shyly rose my head and almost moved it down again under the force of her openly jealous glare. Her eyes dragged up and down me, her lips wrinkling in distaste to show she didn't like what she saw.

It took me a second to say anything as I thought over my confused feelings for him. "I don't really know" It took me a moment to realize I wasn't breathing. As I took a sudden gasping breath the world came into sharper focus and my head cleared a little. I hoped Rin would calm down and come back soon. Now that he had gone her friends were sat back down but kept their watchful gaze trained upon us, I wondered if anyone had a listening skill high enough they could hear our talk over everybody else's.

She took the empty chair he had vacated and I couldn't repress a shudder of nerves, my stomach was all tensed up and I felt as anxious as I did when I left the safety of my room IRL to brave a quick trip to the store, "Well I can tell you now," she continued, "His feelings are plain and clear on his face. You didn't see the way he kept looking at you when I was talking to him" she remarked in a dry voice and sighed in frustration. I wish I'd worn my headdress so I could hide behind its veil.

I blinked and almost dropped my glass of water, "What?" I squeaked as my brow creased and I gave Faleen a good hard look, reassessing everything I had ever learned or thought about Rin. Despite how untraditional our relationship was, he was still the closest thing to a friend I had. I needed him as much as he needed me. No, definitely more. I couldn't imagine what I would do if I were to lose him now. There was something that was strangely familiar about him, as if I should already know him and had known him for a long time. Or perhaps it was more just physical attraction than connection. Hormones reacting to a flawless face and body.

"He definitely knows what he wants and that is you" Her beautiful eyes, the colour of fresh mint and spring leaves, regarded me again and still couldn't see anything she thought could account for such affection. Suddenly she dropped her voice and rose an eyebrow, "I'd be careful. Not that he isn't absolutely perfect in every physical way, but there's something a little strange about him."

Flashes of him losing the tentative control he had over his monstrous temper flitted through my minds eye before I could stop myself. I don't know why, but I felt a little relieved as she said that. So I wasn't just crazy and the only one who occasionally felt a little wary toward him. "I see" I acknowledged simply and pretended I hadn't been as shook by the revelation as I was. I tried to press back any thoughts; everything was just getting to be too much.

A rather tense moment passed as Faleen's expression turned strangely hard, immediately I knew that my partner was behind me and I couldn't doubt that he had overheard every word with his high listening skills. I wasn't sure what to expect if I were to turn around and look at Rin's face but I suddenly felt very uncomfortable sitting between them, "Move" he growled in a voice that made it all too clear what would happen if she didn't. I tried to clear my head, which now seemed to be in a fog, and come back with something to his comment but could only manage gaping.

"I was just keeping your friend company" the dryad pasted on a false smile and quickly stood, I don't know why but I stood up too, "Excuse me, I have to return to my friends" attempting to grasp some dregs of the situation she reached out and graced his shoulder with a long, shapely finger. I stiffened when he did, I knew he hated being touched. I was surprised and relieved when he didn't react except his eyes and mouth tightened. "You would have been fun." The beauty laughed, my tinkling sound that made a chill ripple down my spine.

I heard her breathing relax slightly but his expression stayed tense and hard, his dark eyes seeming to turn flat black. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. Within those infinitely deep and captivating eyes I caught that glimpse of Mr. Hyde. A flash of irritation and perhaps impatience. This time however he did not work to swiftly change it to that gentle expression. He deliberately turned his back to her and shrugged on his cloak, missing the dazzling smile she sent him, "See you soon" she called over her shoulder as she walked away with an extra swing in her hips, but her narrowed eyes were on me.

He gave an annoyed cough and hooked his arm through mine to march me out. I didn't dare look behind us as we left and let go as suddenly as he had grabbed me and for once I was glad, his touch had been hotter than usual as if flames of fury burnt just under the surface of his skin. He stamped his way through the swathe of AI's and Players whom parted like a hot knife through butter, so it was easy for me to keep my eyes on him although I had to strain to keep up. I followed him for about five minutes without him stopping or even turning once, whilst I was approached by Players and AI merchants all of them for some reason avoiding him as if they could sense his anger.

He skirted down a side-alley half-lit with sunlight and finally stopped to rest his back against the wall, giving me a long hard look as if trying to decide if I was going to suddenly run off and never come back. I struggled with words to say as I looked back up at him. By now he seemed to have regained some of his composure, his face now looking more relaxed but concern now filled it instead.

I wondered what had made him decline Fareen's invitation, although he had told me he had been a solo-player before partying with me he had also said he would join a guild if he reached his own limits. But as with so many other things, I respectfully didn't address them, "I'm okay" the words slipped out of my mouth before I could tactfully think of a way to say so without sounding so false. He continued his intense gaze for just a moment longer. Different emotions seemed to be churning in his eyes as if he were struggling with some internal debate. He seemed to be gauging if I was telling the truth about my state of mind, finally he nodded once.

There was a not entirely small part in the back of my brain however that wondered if the closeness we were experiencing would last beyond this dramatic game and into when the world would return to a more normal state. I was trying hard not to think about that, because it probably wouldn't be the case. There was silence for a few moments. I couldn't reply further, I was too overwhelmed by what had just happened. It had been difficult enough to say what I already had. Even just partying up with him went against the instinct I had built up in myself my entire life.

He didn't seem to know what to say either as he nodded his head. "Well, it wasn't the first time," he replied, his voice just a little too serious for the joke I knew he was making. I opened one eye and peeked over at him just to make sure he really was joking. He was looking back at me, a small tired smile on his lips, "Let's find somewhere else to find information" he suggested with surety in his voice. I nodded dumbly, mutely grateful for his ability to think clearly when I couldn't.


	27. Chapter 27

We carried on walking and spoke intermittently to every AI we saw, although avoided asking Players in case it got us into trouble somehow. The dark amber light of late afternoon came and my stomach rumbled from a lack of food as my irritation grew at the fact that we hadn't found out anything yet, I sent a hopeful look at the dragon but when he silently walked towards an leaf-shape horned AI carrying a basket of vegetables, his response was clear. As time dragged in my enthusiasm waned and I found my concentration drifting, instead I shifted through the memories I had of my time in here since I became trapped in the VVMMORPG.

Eventually, I came to the time when we washed back to back in the pond on the first day. He had been polite and modestly looked away when I took off my clothes. I couldn't help but wonder if all his muscular torso was based on his IRL appearance. Even though we had stood faced away from each other I still felt the warmth radiating from his skin. Was it just me, or had he acted kinder and more comfortable around me than earlier since then? Was I imagining it?

I took a few forward steps still in deep thought and then ran into something very, very hard. My whole body hummed with awareness and even before I looked I knew who it had to be. Kieto put out his hands to steady who had bumped into him, his fingers encircled my upper arms, lightly gripping the soft flesh. I turned to stare up at him, my long hair swinging around my shoulders and brushing over his hands.

"Oh!" His mouth opened and he seemed just as surprised to see me as I was to see him. Loosening his grip, but not quite letting go—his hands refused to obey him—he stepped back so we weren't touching. My expression was a strange mixture of shock, horror, and interest. He looked different in his human Avatar without the same silvery-grey skin, arrowed tail and bat-wings as my Succubus form, but he still had the heart shaped brand like a red scar over his left hazel eye.

I first glanced back at Rin who was in deep conversation with a red horned AI and then turned back to him, "You...er...invited me to party with you last night at the bridge-gate to Rubi" I explained quickly as I stepped back so he wasn't holding onto my arms anymore, it took him a second too long but reluctantly his fingers unclasped. I hoped he didn't remember my name or much else about the experience.

"I asked you out?" Kieto felt his eyebrows shoot upwards at my description of the encounter. Yep, if he'd had any doubts, they were gone now. I was definitely the same girl. Damn, he didn't know if he was pleased or not. He'd been trying unsuccessfully to forget me, yet here I was standing right in front of him as tantalizing in real life as in his lust-filled memories. For some reason—perhaps self-preservation—he felt the need to downplay the impact the encounter had had on him so he faked a frown as if searching his memory. "Ah... That's right. The Succubus with the dragon"

My head bobbed up and down and I gave a tentative smile. "That was me." I didn't know if I was happy or not that he recalled me, he was overly-sure of himself to the point I couldn't stand him but being remembered by such a handsome guy couldn't ever be anything but a compliment.

He clicked his fingers together, "Hikari!" He called exuberantly and looked mighty proud of himself for remembering that. I flinched as a few people looked our way and I noticed Rin's head whip around, distance and anger mingled in rapid succession before smoothing over and leaving the AI mid-sentence he immediately cut a path towards us. Kieto seemed to sense our chance meeting drawing to an end because he grabbed my hand and held it out, palm upright. He placed his enclosed fist atop it and spread out his fingers, black sparks formed and settled into a onyx gem on a silver chain, "Seems we're about to be interrupted.." He remarked with disappointment evident in his voice.

"What is this?" I asked studying the way the light hit the stone and seemed to be sucked inside of it rather than shine off. He took it from my hand and before I could protest looped it over my head, I blushed at the proximity of his arms either side of my face as he fastened it and then stepped back.

"It senses dark-types" he explained with a grin and turned to melt into the crowd, realising what that meant - that I could sense him and other Players or monsters of our element, my cheeks reddened harder and seconds later Rin appeared looking a little ruffled at my side.

"Hey..you find out anything?" I asked hoping to distract him from asking what had happened, in truth I didn't know what to make of the coincidental meeting myself. Wait..my hand clasped around the necklace that settled with an unfamiliar weight between my breasts, this necklace gifted its wearer with the ability to sense dark-types..which meant he could have used it to find me. After a moment I realised he had not said a word, I could only imagine what he must have been thinking. I could feel my anxiety from earlier come crashing down around me, "This is, um…a gift" I managed to squeak out. "Totally unnecessary, but Kieto bumped into me and wanted me to have it"

"Hmph" He didn't seem to have an answer to this and remained silent other than making that disgruntled noise. An odd sense of triumph settled on me as the silence grew. He knew I had done nothing wrong and he had nothing else to say about it. He turned around without a word and I felt momentarily panicked when I realised he intended to leave. He may have been irritating me and was generally far too presumptuous but it was comforting to know he was just a few steps away if I needed him.

"Hey!" I swiftly circled in front of him and held out my hands in silent threat, he stopped before I could touch his torso and avoided my gaze. I dropped my arms and softened my voice, "I could..take it off?" I offered, cocking my head so I managed to look him in the eye.

He tried to give that little half smile I loved but it didn't reach his eyes. I could tell what had happened bothered Rin and I wasn't sure how to reassure him that despite whatever Kieto might have been thinking was forming between us, I didn't want anyone other than him, "It doesn't bother me" he finally grumbled although he seemed to be saying it to make himself believe it rather than me.

Before I could say another word he side-stepped by me and with a sigh I followed him. We went back to questioning people and over time he seemed to return to his better self, though I didn't fail to notice that he kept his distance. Even though he had insisted he didn't care either way, I returned the necklace to my inventory but still his brief, warm touches and unguarded looks were limited to almost none the rest of the day. I tried to keep my face light and unworried but I couldn't help but feel a a slight sense of panic. I had to let him know just how important he was to me, but I felt at a loss to know how to do so.

I felt conflicted as I thought of Rin's reaction to the necklace Kieto gave me. I could see why he would worry. In truth he didn't know me well enough to know if I was the type of girl that went from guy to guy. I hoped he wouldn't think that of after the things I had told him, after spending the desert nights with him and being so open and honest with him about myself, I would hope he would realize exactly how I felt and know that there was room for no one else in my heart. Regardless of all the terrifying changes that had happened with my impossible reality, the dragon made me feel incredibly safe.

Despite how he reacted to the necklace, it hadn't exactly seemed just simple possessiveness or jealousy. I wasn't sure what exactly the emotion was. Perhaps he was just feeling insecure, or maybe even hurt? It was difficult to say. Either way, it was absolutely unnecessary. I could tell if I thought about this for too long I was going to work myself up and possibly say or do something I shouldn't, so I put it to the back of my mind. Despite how confusing the entire scenario was, and how terrible this world we were trapped in, I still couldn't feel completely ungrateful or be entirely unaware of this unique time I had been given with Rin. With so much time spent just one on one, it provided a very intimate opportunity to get to know one another better.

Reminding myself it wasn't fair if my partner did all the work I turned my attention back to the task at hand and greeted the first AI I saw nearest to me, he was a balding bare-chested man with black horns that grew right out of his shaven scalp which he'd tied a red bandana around, "Hello, I was wondering if you've heard of any Player disappearances, or disruptions in Rubi?"

He flexed a bicep, his torso was impressive despite his ageing years, and shook his head, "No. But perhaps you would be interested in a feat of strength?" He answered my question with another and quirked his pencil thin brow, "There is a reward! A critical hit accuracy gem!" Seeing he caught my attention he twirled his moustache and tilted his head to Star Piercer at my side, "You could forge it with your dagger and it will gain the advantage of delivering a critical hit more often"

I folded my arms and got straight to the point, "So what would I have to do for this test?" He chuckled heartily.

"Right to the heart of the matter, I like it!" He roared with laughter and I flinched. A few Players turned around and my partner wove back through them, "There's a small forest west of Rubi, defeat ten of the Undead Hobgoblin that plague there and I will give it to you when you return triumphant" by now Rin had neared us and rose an eyebrow at me enquiringly, he had heard the mans explanation.

"It's a quest" I surmised before turning back to the AI, "Sure, sounds simple enough" I agreed before turning my attention to the dragon, "I can take this one myself" I offered because then he could spend more time investigating, the quest seemed easy and I would be back in time for us to find an Inn for the night.

He shrugged, he didn't need the EXP as much as me or the Peri and the completion prize could only belong to one of us, "You're right, it should only take you an hour or two" he admitted before deciding, "Let's meet back at this spot afterwards" he pointed and I looked in the direction he gestured, "Remember that stairway with the red flowers" I nodded and he looked appeased before adding, "But message me if you get into any trouble" I nodded and stifled rolling my eyes at him.

I faced the AI with a resolute expression, "Take me to the west portal" I ordered, pushing away the niggling nerves that came with knowing this was the first quest I'd attempt without my partner. He nodded and I followed him through the crowds and streets of Rubi passing by stores and houses alike until we came to a curving, giant stone doorway.

"This is where I leave you" he explained, "I will stay here until you return" he took up a relaxed stance leant against the gate with his arms crossed. I inclined my head and walked through the archway, the air shimmered as I disturbed the teleportation spell and I closed my eyes. When I opened them I was in the forest and I rose my hands to watch the blue aura over my skin fade then disappear.

Eager to get back as soon as possible I began walking, peering around trees and under bushes to find the Undead Hobgoblins to slay them as quickly as I could. Hopefully I would find a small group of them, small enough I could overpower them easily but enough of them I wouldn't have to search out and painstakingly kill each one separately. After half an hour of attentive searching I still hadn't found any and night was beginning to gather.

Pushing at the long, golden tangle of my hair I wished there was less of it. I snapped off a knobby twig from a shrub at my heel and pulled my hair back into a messy bun, using the twig to pin it there. I was distracted, and only because a bird boldly cut past and drew my attention from the task of managing my hair, did I see a movement at the corner of my eye.

A figure was striding away from me up a leafy incline, into the light side of the daybreak. An Undead Hobgoblin?! The retreating shape paused, only to dart deeper into the gloom. Cresting the slope it winked out of sight. I ran after it. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. Skidding to a stop at the slope summit, I let out a surprised breath. I could see down and far out into the forest and there was nobody down there, nothing but more trees. Fear whispered in my ear, but I shook it off, such a thing was surely nothing but my imagination. No PK would be this close to the closest guarded Rubi. It would be like someone who wanted to live a long life doing a jig with their eyes closed on the edge of a cliff.

Then I saw it again. The shadowed figure was there when I turned around, but was at the bottom of the slope. It was humanoid shaped and had a bright red player diamond above it piercing the swelling darkness. My feet skipped back then there was no more floor. I remembered at the same time my head moved to where my feet had been that I'd been standing on the apex of a steep and high slope. I went down. I tumbled backward and ended up rolling and rolling. The world churned around me, but levelled out abruptly as I crashed into the base of a tree at the slope's underside.

My legs went up in the air and my shins mashed against my forehead. Needless to say it hurt. I rocked my body until I fell onto my side and pulled my legs back to curl them under me. I breathed in and out slowly, mentally checking myself over. Nothing felt broken. I sat up and stretched it out. No, nothing was broken. I stood and rubbed at my head, then tried to get my bearings.

The slope was too steep to climb back up and I wasn't much into rock climbing. I wished Rin was here to yank me upright with his steady, sure grip like he always did. Nevertheless, the slope was too high to do clamber up it myself, so I was either going left or right.

Determined to stay calm, I ignored the curls of fear in my stomach. I hadn't explored this far out into the forest yet, and based on how long I had searched for I was at least ten miles from the teleportation point already. I was not worried about the time; I could still get back in time and with enough time to find an Inn with Rin. Looking to the west the sky was darkening to black, but the sunset was always painfully slow. I would surely be safe until the duo-moons appeared.

I picked the straightest line through the trees I could and started off, my boots slapping through the muddy puddles riddling the way. The entire time I had looked for the Undead Hobgolbins forest had been empty of human presence apart from me; but it was creepy now, like someone was watching.

A short while later it was clear I'd done something wrong. The trees were getting denser, and more closely packed together, like I was going further into the forest. I stopped and spun around. My first instinct was to go back. I was walking in a straight line, and I could go back to the slope base and start again.

I had been walking in a straight line, hadn't I? Those nasty fingers of fear tickled my insides again. I started to walk back, but stopped after less than half a mile. I scanned the ground. Horrified at what I did not see, I knelt down to get a better look. To my dismay I could not see any footprints or other signs I had passed this way. During the night shift I had maxed out my tracking skill and was only nested by Rin, who used his powerful draconic nose to pick up even the most subtle of scents. For the second time I wished he was here.

At that moment I felt the bitter sting of failure. What I should have done the moment I'd felt lost is literally retraced my steps and started again. But I hadn't done that. I'd let the fear get one up on me and plunged into the forest without thinking. I needed to calm down and focus. I figured if I went high, I could see further around me.

I strode back a pace and took a running jump at a broad trunk. I reached the lowest branch, which started five feet or so above my head, and dug my fingertips into the bark. Tree climbing was easy, and in no time I hauled my body over the highest bough that would hold my weight. To be honest, I was surprised that trees survived with Trulus and the magma that surrounded Rubi so close by. I balanced on my toes, hands to knees. Exhaling, my breath was a plume of wispy vapour. It was cold, but it didn't bother me.

The clouds on the horizon were dark with rain, darker than the sky overhead. They rolled low and blocked out the dying light. There was a thick hum in the air, a sure sign a storm was blowing in. The clean scent of crushed needle leaf on the breeze was refreshing, and a nice change from the ashy smell that saturated everything in Rubi. Getting back on track, I looked around in a wide circle. I bit my lip and looked the circle again, slower this time. I was in trouble. I couldn't see the teleportation point or the end of the forest. I must have run much further than I usually did before I'd fallen. Then I'd walked even further in the wrong direction.

I stood clasped the branch overhead, and skipped to the edge of my perch. Loosening my hold above, I pushed back with my foot and both my arms stretched back. I arced into a crescent and was momentarily suspended in the air. The crown of my head raced to catch my arms as my legs coiled and flew overhead. The world was crazy for a second; up was down, down was up. Pointed feet followed my legs around and then I was falling. Feet a foot apart, my knees bent to absorb impact as I landed, arms extended either side of me for balance. That bit of fun helped chase away some of my distress.

Back down below the forest canopy it was dark. The weakening sun could not broken through the leaves, and the understory had a monochromatic look. Silver bark, grey leaves and black spaces between. I pushed some hair that had gotten loose from my makeshift bun out of my eyes, and breathed in. Smells of the forest, nutty scents and sweet night flowers releasing their fragrance, were strangely comforting. I was deep into the wild and civilization was far behind, but I knew panicking would only make things worse.

A faint rustle ahead made me pause and swiftly reconsider panicking. Another, louder rustle made me tense. A tingle of fear ran down the back of my legs. The forest was full of monsters of course, but the thought I'd been consciously avoiding until now, making me want to lie where I was then die quietly or run shrieking in the opposite direction, was that I was in PK territory. Now I wished Rin was with me more than ever.

A flicker of light illuminated the leaf edges in the darkness. I heard a low murmur of sound, hushed and urgent. Instinctively crouching down, I crawled forward and was scared. Voices. I could have gone the other way like a rational individual, but then I would not know what kind of Player was close by. If they were PK's with tracking skills, I was no better than a dead body anyway.

Soon, I saw the pale glare of artificial light and inched closer, keeping myself low to the floor. My knees scraped sharp twigs and hard stones. The prickly leaves of low grown shrubs stroked my cheeks and forehead as I pushed forward. My breathing sounded too loud in my ears, and I tried to breathe shallowly. I kept my moves small and stealthy, using my Tracking and Deception skills simultaneously, and was glad I hadn't changed into my Succubus Avatar because my human one presented a smaller target.

Ahead of me, there was a small clearing and three bodies in it. Two were PK's, faces made unidentifiable by the peculiar hooded black cloaks with tails that flowed to their knees. The wide, pointed hood covered their face to the nose. A red-eye sigil was stitched on their breast pockets. The one facing me pulled its hood down. She was a skeletal woman with mud-coloured hair and pinched lips, but would be attractive if you like women with up-tilted eyes and a mean-looking disposition. The other had his back to me and was a short, but well-built male with big arms and calves from what little I could see. Both had red diamonds above their heads, which was how I'd known they were to be feared. Oh Rin..why didn't I ask you to come with me? I silently berated myself.

I sat in my hiding place and quaked in my boots. My stomach twisted into a double knot and my teeth chattered, because something bad was happening. The third body in the clearing was a Player with a green icon. Pale skin damp and ivy hair wild, the Dryad was sprawled across the forest floor in a tangle of her own gawky limbs. She wasn't one from Fareen's group at the Hero's Head earlier. It was clear to me she was terrified. Her vibrant skin looked sallow and her eyes bloodshot beneath the leaf shaped tattoo. A knife was embedded in her shoulder blade, another on her upper thigh. She was crying, a pitiful high keen that was so frail I could barely hear it. The woman struck her.

Her head flew back and a spray of blood wet the dry mud and spattered over the leaves concealing me. Whimpering and face wet with tears, she tried to crawl toward the trees and dragged up clumps of earth with her fingernails. The man executed a neat half turn and stamped on her thigh. There was a sharp snap, like I'd picked up a twig and yanked on the ends until the fibres split apart and cracked open. The Dryad's leg buckled into an unnatural shape and she screamed. The sound was guttural, a direct translation of pain to sound. I slapped a hand over my mouth to smother my own shriek.

The two dragged the girl back into the centre of the clearing and brought a knife to her face, I saw she was the same age as me if not older. Clamping a gloved hand over her mouth, the man slashed the blade across her cheek. Blood seeped from the wound and the smell seeped into the air. I gagged. It was then my body reacted. It was something natural hidden deep within, and didn't make sense to me. I just knew I had to do it.

Lurching forward, I snapped twigs beneath me and reached out to her. The woman spun and a large, curved sword appeared in her hands. I crouched and froze. She peered into the trees for the source of the noise and I stepped back, snapping another twig underfoot. The Dryad's field-green irises twitched to me. We locked gazes and her eyes blazed as her face creased with panic. She whispered one word, "Run" she exploded into sparks

I was frozen, horrified. What could she have possibly done to deserve torture and execution? "Show yourself," commanded the female PK. She stepped forward this time and her eyes roamed the space. She clutched the sword more securely between her hands. "Come out so we can look at you"

I knew if I did as she asked, I was as dead as the woman who had vanished on the ground not ten feet from me. Her word echoed in my ear. Run. It was the only plan I had. I stood from my hiding place, wheeled on the spot, and bolted into the darkness.


	28. Chapter 28

The sound of leaves rustling split the air. Something whipped past my arm and left a hot sting, I kept my eyes ahead but my peripherals registered a bolt of bright magic shot my way. Feet stumbling, the tears streamed down my face. Thorny branches tore at my shirt and hair, I wished the desert garb was longer to protect my torso as I got scratches on my stomach and my HP bar slithered away. I crashed through the undergrowth, not caring how loud I was or that they would be able to track me. I needed to get away. Run, run and hide. I had witnessed something hidden and knew if they caught me, they would kill me.

A dark shape jumped into my path and brought the pommel of a sword hurtling toward my face. One forearm came up to protect my head and jerked violently. Then I cranked back my fist and snapped it forward. The answering high pitched grunt told me it was the female PK. As she staggered, the sword swung again, blade end first, and forced me to drop and roll. Using the force of my body popping up, I spun, cocked my leg and kicked like a mule. My heel connected with her upper back and sent her off-kilter stance to hell. She flew toward a tree, spindly arms and legs flailing, and hit the trunk hard. She collapsed to the floor in a messed up heap.

Loud footfalls pounded behind me, eating up the ground and getting closer. I ran again and forced my remaining strength into moving my feet one in front of the other. Hands fisted, my arms alternated pumping back and forth. The air was solid resistance I needed to punch out of the way as much as the tree branches riddling my path. But I was tired. For the first time I felt my strength and stamina waning and knew I would have to switch to my Succubus Avatar if I wanted to escape. My mind emptied so I could concentrate on reaching out to the Source and my heart skipped a thump as unexpected energy trilled through my body like an electric shock, my wings grew out and unfurled. The dark deepened into new dimensions. Shades of electric blue and purple tinted my vision, and I could see everything. Power exploded from my centre, filling my body to the brim.

A sound like "Hmf" choked out of my throat in ecstasy, I felt so animated. I shot forward like a comet and the forest blurred into flowing lines I distinguished as if standing still. Now, air glided out of my way as I hurtled forward and my feet glanced effortlessly off the floor, not leaving the slightest imprint in the earth beneath me. Once I was sure I had put enough distance between myself and them I planted my feet and slammed to still.

The landscape had shifted dramatically, and my burning eyes ached from being opened too wide in the wind so I blinked a few times until the throbbing eased up. I noticed my HP bar was almost in yellow so I drank a potion and the lash of pain on my arm flared painfully then dulled into nothing. I wiped at it. Again and again, scrubbing at my arm in panic looking for the graze. There was nothing but clammy skin and a dried smear of blood where a cut should be.

I was relatively safe for now, healthy, and as long as I could get back to Rubi before the stronger night monsters awakened I would be fine. But I couldn't forget the look in the Dryad's eyes as she had used her last breath to warn me. It was then the fear took hold of me and I lost control. My chest heaved and I choked on a sob, the tears in my eyes had me seeing double.

Racked with nervous shivers, I curled into a ball at the base of a tree. My body spasmed once before the convulsions became frequent and uncontrollable. I kept my teeth clenched to avoid biting my tongue and tucked my arms into my sides. The position, though safe, was not comforting. I buried my face in the leaves and scrunched my legs into my chest. My muscles kept up this hedonistic clench and release until they cramped into bunches, I shivered as the wind fluttered my sweat soaked my clothes. What hurt most was my head; the pumping of blood in my ears, the ringing between my eyes, and the overwhelming scent of my own fear clogging my nose.

Gradually the anxiety subsided and breathing became easier. My heart took it down a notch and I was grateful, for I was not sure it could take much more. Quivering, my muscles relaxed and stayed that way. With a great measure of wonder, I realised my overwhelming sense of all things was still intact. Despite my emotional exhaustion, my body still felt better in its Succubus form. Just as I was beginning to piece some kind of plan together when a low shadow bolted out from the bushes next to the tree I was collapsed against.

I sprang up to defend myself. My hands were fisted and my face fierce. At first sight all I made out was a male shape, an impression of someone tall and built with absolutely no player icon above his head - red or green. In the dark all I could see were his eyes, wide and cold eyes touched with madness, framed by a tangle of thick lashes. His red irises were so crimson they could be bloodied. They burned, scorching me as his gaze flicked over my face and body. He wore dark, faded trousers and that was that. Feet and chest bare, he was the least civilised man I'd seen.

My mind raced through all the possibilities to explain the man uncoiling from his crouch and stalking toward me. This was no PK or AI. The movement was too liquid and quick to belong to anything but a Player, and what would an AI be doing all the way out here? Unless this was a Quest? Then my heart kicked, jump-starting the instinct to get the hell out of there. All I could think was, run. I turned, tripped over a tree root, and fell flat on my face.

With a mouth full of dirt, I crawled forward then decided I wanted to see him coming rather than be jumped from behind, and flipped round to scuttle back. The man loomed over me, silent and deadly. I shrieked and scrambled back some more. My hands were scraped and gouged by stones and bracken, the man followed me slowly so my eyes could track his movement. I scrambled upright inelegantly.

At closer proximity I saw the man to be around my age, with alabaster skin and colourless hair that extended even down to his snow coloured eyebrows and lashes. His hair was cut in an effortless choppy style of careless spikes, a fringe of which fell into his molten eyes. I shivered, not because it was cold, but because he stood before me half dressed as if it were a warm summer day. His pale chest was as muscled as Rin's and between the two bulging pectorals above the rippling abdomen there was a strange rectangle of silver, scintillated even in the absence of light. I didn't remember seeing him during the tutorial meeting at Emiel Village.

During my steady appraisal my hands had dropped and relaxed, but they clenched again. Men slid their eyes up and down you before whistling to catch your attention. They did not stare at you until your insides felt like outsides. The directness of his gaze had me mystified, and I was already under the influence of so many emotions, the only way I could react to something I could not understand was with violence. However, he remained close and did not look alarmed at my aggressive posture.

Belittling the tense atmosphere, his face lit up with a smile, "Greetings" he welcomed as if we were friends and stepped closer. He lifted his arms as if to embrace me. One more step would close the distance between us completely.

I was scared, so scared. I couldn't speak. There were no words or coherent thoughts in my head. It was a jumble of panic and cautious interest. Who was he? Would he kill me now? Rin, save me. I would become one of the faceless and nameless that went missing in VRMMORPG's every day. I couldn't handle it, nor could my body functions manage the full-scale meltdown. My legs buckled and the world went a funny grey colour. I fainted, but told myself I didn't have time to faint and came to in the next second. Not that my actions meant anything, or my revival was what stopped my ass hitting the ground.

The man darted forward so fast his body blurred and something hard and invisible shunted into me – so hard it knocked the breath from my lungs. Pushed off centre, my legs flew up and the sky swung into view. For a moment I stood, but was weightless as he carried my weight despite my cumbersome wings. The sensation was unusual. He'd caught me.

I shifted. My top rode up some and his fingers touched my back, my wings shrinked back under his touch. Something hot and powerful invaded me. It charged through my body until every muscle was tense and straining, and then it was gone, dissipating into nothing. I relaxed so completely it felt like my bones had unhinged and my muscles liquefied. The man's face was blank, had he felt the painful heat too? I hoped so, because I was sure it was his fault.

There was a fracas nearby, getting closer and louder. My heart did a good job of clambering into my throat and blocking my airway. The two PK's hunting me crashed past and kept on going as if we were invisible. The man, who had crouched down with me on his knee whilst I had worked on breathing right, ducked his head down and tensed. I realised he was barely breathing, if at all. My heart thundered and my thoughts raced. Why didn't they see me when my scent should have led them right to us?

This brought me round to the daunting thought of how I'd got so far ahead, rolled around on the floor, and encountered a strange albino before they had caught up. Again, who was this man, over whose arm and knee I was draped? Not that it was uncomfortable, but he'd put his hands on me so easily, and held me close and it felt..good. The shock had me relaxing and looking down at his hands upon my skin. They were big, hard and somehow elegant as they curled around me, and the sight of the touch had me shiver with a strange sensation in my lower tummy.

The hunting couple passed out of sight and hearing range. My stomach unclenched and my heart slid back down to rest uneasily in my chest. The man remained as he was and peered into my face. My heart raced at how tall and how strong he was. His sharp cheekbones rested high on a sculpted face which once you got past the unusual pallor was definitely handsome. His delicately sloping nose was the opposite of the distinctive aquiline bridge Rin had, but I liked it, and masculine lips added depth to a face that needed no flattering.

I watched his dark red eyes flick from my face to my upper arms, checking for bruises, "Pumme-dwn" I mumbled feeling shy thrice over being in such close proximity to all that bare skin. Taken aback by the feeble quality of my own voice, I lifted my chin and added some gusto, "I mean, put me down. Now." He did no such thing but he did smile again, and what a spectacular show it was.

His torso was heavy and hot. Through the fabric of my clothes I felt the hard lines of him, but not the slow thump of his heart where it should have beat over mine, "Why?" He asked throwing me a puzzled look, as if I honestly had to explain to him why I didn't want his body so close to mine.

I snaked my hands up his bare, solid shoulders and jumped off him so I stood on my own two feet. I pushed away from him, "L-leave me alone!" I demanded and spun around to pin down a direction to run toward. I realised at that moment my the solution was downright silly and ineffective. See bad, scary, or confusing thing, turn and run from bad, scary, or confusing thing until you bump into another bad, scary, or confusing thing. I was getting nowhere fast.

I waited for the fear and for the panic. I waited for the scream of terror to rip from my throat, but it never came. I waited for him to grab me, and murder me, and cut me into pieces and hide me under the small patch of wild flowers over there. But he said and did nothing. The clever thing would have been to get the hell out of there and start running again. But I didn't want to, and I was curious as to who and what he was. I wanted to know why he was stood in front of me, and what he was after.

His gaze raked over me again and again, looking for something.

"I'm trying to help you, beta-tester" His words hit me like a blow to the head. I twitched like he'd pinched me all over and staggered back. I knew then something menacing was coming around the corner. I had to accept what he had told me, right? Not to acknowledge the undeniable truth would be foolish, "Just follow me," he advised. No doubt he could carry me again if I didn't comply, but still, the thought of being so close to him was worrisome. His very presence rubbed me up the wrong way. I was strong willed, not infallible, and my losing control could be fatal with him around. And then he was gone. One moment he was walking, and the next he was a white blur zipping through the dark trees ahead of me.

It was odd, because I knew it was too fast, but I could track his movement with my gaze. Was it crazy that I wanted to follow him? Grudgingly, I admitted to myself I'd never wanted to follow someone so badly, and I was never one to shy away from a physical challenge. I'd run blindingly fast from the PK's, and the only difference between now and then was that then I was scared. Huh, piece of cake. I had loads of scared stored up around the solar plexus area. Tapping into the well of energy inside me was too easy and I burst forward.

Everything was so bright and lively, and it was nothing for me to flow across the land at a velocity so strange, yet comforting to me in my Succubus form. He took a sharp turn and I was pleased to see I was gaining, gliding across the ground at his side. I sped up to leave him trailing behind. The floor yielded to every pound of my foot. Not a single branch snagged my hair or cut my skin because I didn't let it. I zipped and dodged, jumped and spun, following a trail in the undergrowth. I didn't know where we were running to, but it felt good to be in motion.

He was always there on the fringes of my attention, but never the focus. Thinking of him directly always made me confused and wary. He had a numbing, drug-like effect on my senses that I was liked and hated equally. I needed to be sharp and definite not fuzzy and indecisive. I snorted at myself. The air was heavy with a piquant scent that fizzed on my tongue. The silhouette of trees taller than any I'd seen rose high in the sky, and a few stars winked into sight as true-night fell. I'm not a botanist, so all I can say is that there were plants. A big orgy of reds, blues, and purples scattered everywhere. The breeze was crisp and made everything sway in orderly chaos. The buzzing of insect and restless whining of beasts punctured the night in harmonic beat.

I slowed to a stop when he did. I plucked a leaf from my hair and brushed a lick of dirt off my cheek. I could have continued this grooming session for a while since I felt twigs and thorns caught in my clothes and hair, but he raised his head to sniff the air like a dog and said, "Let's move on"

We trod a path of crunching leaves and snapping twigs. The breeze was sweetly fragrant and smelled of green things. It was quiet now apart from the sound of small furry things going about their business in the understory. Then the outline of something big prowled past, ghosting through the trees. I forgot about this mysterious man and forgot I was lost in PK territory as my entire body locked down. Blood rushed in my ears as the shadow trod a path parallel to where we stood. The albino was calm and unmoved so I toughed it out and stayed put.

It emerged from behind a tree a few paces away to cross our path. Tawny and freckled with cream rosettes, the feline-shaped monsters purple eyes with slitted yellow pupils swept over us. The powerful build and handsome face were too brawny to be anything but male. Slinking to a stop, his round ears pricked up and he looked me right in the eye. A spark of intellect flickered within them, and for a beat I couldn't breathe.

He padded over slowly, thick claws glinting as they easily churned up leaves and soil, and pressed into my legs. I flinched as soft growl rumbled in his throat and his whole body vibrated. I tensed then flexed my hand and let it drift down, hardly believing what was happening. As he pushed his wet nose into my palm the growl became a satisfied purr. The monster was warm and smelt musky. My fingers rubbed up the coarse hair behind his ears then smoothed it down. He nipped at my finger and I yelped. He twitched at the sound and the long whiskers on his upper lip whistled as they cut through the air. Nudging the back of my knee he made a contented noise, tinged with almost an apology for startling me. His eyes lingered on mine. He blinked at me then he sniffed the air and gathered his front and back paws together. Ears flat against his head, he paced forward and slinked lower.

I gasped, spotting a sable coloured deer grazing within my line of sight, half hidden by a few dogwood trees. The cat's muscles bunched tightly before he sprung forward and bounded away. I didn't watch what happened to the deer after that. The albino watched me, head cocked thoughtfully. I marvelled at the short hairs stuck on my fingertips. Evidence my encounter had been real. I trembled. A few questions played on my lips before I chose, "Why didn't it attack?"

He let out an easy grin, "Animals just like me I guess" Before I could scream in protest he picked me up and broke out into a ground-eating run. By the time my shock passed he was running at full speed and the breeze sweeping either side of his body drowned out my screech. After a few minutes of blurry scenery either side I noticed that he was not breathing. It was strange to be so close to another person and not sense the normal rise and fall of the chest. There was no heartbeat either. No body heat. Just this animated body walking and talking and carrying me. I wondered what species he was, aside from the curious silvery-white mark on his chest he didn't have any distinguishing marks.

"Here we are" he set me down smoothly, pointed to somewhere behind me and turned his head slowly from left to right, like he was considering something or looking out for trouble. I looked over my shoulder. We had reached the teleportation gate, he jerked his head toward it. "Go now" when I looked back he was gone.

Apparently he didn't do long goodbyes. He was there then he wasn't. I was alone again in the forest but at least I wasn't lost anymore. A sense of relief was replaced by a fiercer surge of regret. I never thanked him or asked his name, I was too suspicious after what I had seen. The moment he winked out of sight the longing to see him pressed upon my consciousness. The emotion was like a splinter burrowed beneath the skin, determined to settle in for the long haul. I stepped through the portal and closed my eyes against the blue glare that enveloped my body before I winked out of sight and transported to the western exit of Rubi.

"Hikari! Where were you?" I'd only had time to change back to my human Avatar and pat myself down when the voice burst out behind me. Rin was stood there hands on hips, and I would have laughed at what a mother-figure he was being if I hadn't seen the concern in his eyes, almost a permanent thing. A small crack broke across my heart, knowing I was the cause of so much worry and distress.

I still jumped a mile in the air with shock, I thought I was going to meet him at the stairway with the flowers! Then I realised he must have gotten worried and come looking for me, "How did you get here- find me, so fast?!" I shrieked, utterly failing to ensure my voice sounded natural. I was going to have to pretend everything was perfectly fine.

"I've been watching you on the map, you're late" he explained, before shaking his head, "I've changed my mind about solo-quests..you're not strong enough to go out on this field alone" I instantly got fired up to defend myself before the implications of what he had said settled in and quenched my rage with confusion.

"Wait..alone..? But.." I had to swallow hard, my tongue seemed to thicken as I said the words. I knew that if he had been looking for me on the map surely he would have noticed the albino with me who moved in such a way I decided he had to have been a Player who hid his icon, level and HP bar somehow. but surely, a lie to soothe was better than hurting with the truth, especially when the truth would stir up more unanswered questions, "You're right..." I evaded, hoping he would misread my bemused frown as a sad glower.

"I know I am.." He admonished and threw a bottle of water at me. I caught it one handed and tipped my chin up as thanks. Popping the top, I took a few slurping gulps and sheepishly smiled at him, refreshed, "You need a potion?" He asked, "You look beat" he added and I glared at him, there was no reason for him to point out how dirty and tired I looked other than to be rude! I dropped the can onto the floor and I exploded into sparks, no need to recycle here.

I pouted, "No. I can do it myself" I sulked taking one out from my Inventory and downing it in one sip. I launched the empty bottle and lashed a well-aimed kick at it, it shattered into sparkles on impact and disappeared. So no littering trash in Angelcestra either.

He rolled his shoulders and somehow the way he brushed me off made me even angrier, "Well, come on" he inclined his head, "It's already dark" with a sweeping of his cape he strode away to leave me floundering after him. It took me a moment to adjust to the change of pace, with the man earlier I had been running beside him rather than chasing after him.

As we walked in silence my mind drifted, a memory of ruby eyes had my heart picking up speed and turning my breathing shallow. Feeling the heat in my cheeks, a glance around showed every Player around me including Rin was too wrapped in their own world to notice my heaving chest. Not that people paid me much mind. Why was I getting all hot and heavy over a man I would never see again?

There had to be something to inspire a break from remembering those cold and mad eyes. There was no way in hell I was ever stepping another toe on the open map alone ever again, so I had to stop tormenting myself with the questions eating away at my composure. Like who he was? I thought I would go mad. If only I could see him one more time, talk to him again, I might actually learn something instead of being left confused and uneasy. Just as I was thinking that Rin abruptly stopped to turn around and face me. He didn't look angry, if anything still mildly concerned. "Did something happen?" He asked suddenly.

I tilted my head, hearing something unspoken in the words. "Why'd you think that?" I asked, then bit down on my tongue. Speaking without thinking, I sounded like I was jumping down his throat. Way to act suspiciously.

"You're on edge, and when you saw me you went pale like you saw a ghost" he rose an eyebrow, "You're so shaken up you've already walked into two other Players" he pointed out and my shoulders hung lower with each statement he pointed out.

I swallowed before I answered, "I saw–" Was I really going to tell him? I glanced around but all I could see were green diamonds and the bodies of AI's who walked around without them. It seemed safe to tell him here but I wished we were somewhere more secluded, anybody could be overhearing with a high enough listening skill.

"I'll tell you something else," he interrupted, speaking slowly and looking down at his hands looped in his trouser pockets. "Whilst you were gone, I carried on talking to AI's in the area. Apparently fifteen Players have gone missing over the last two days" He looked up at me and lowered his voice an octave, "You need to be careful"

My mind reeled, fifteen in two days? I'd think it impossible if I hadn't seen one of them killed before my very eyes just hours ago, "I have to tell you something!" I'd completely forgotten the PK's I'd ran into because of my obsessive thoughts on the strange man who had saved me from them.

When I had relayed what had happened he had a thoughtfully unhappy look on his face. I purposefully left out the odd albino man I had met and instead said that I had escaped using my speed and stealth stats, I didn't enjoy lying to him but I couldn't forget how he had been annoyed at Kieto giving me a gift earlier. He was quiet for a few moments and I realised he was now darting furtive glances around the area as if he expected somebody to be eavesdropping too, "I know somewhere you can lay low for a few days" he suggested finally.


End file.
